deepwater

After suffering major setbacks, Chevron’s massive Big Foot project finally achieved first oil last November in the US Gulf of Mexico. With the setbacks in the rear-view mirror, project personnel spoke about the challenges.

Wireline formation tests are a critical piece of the exploration and appraisal process, yet they come with a degree of uncertainty. The supermajor has tapped a new software developer to see if it can clear things up.

The technologies born out of innovative ideas have been critical for advancing deepwater assets in the past, and venture-capital investment helps incubate risk-taking companies developing those technologies. With digitization becoming a greater focus in industry, what role will venture capital play?

Could 2019 be a bumper year for offshore energy development?

A major operator manages multiple deepwater projects in the Gulf of Guinea. This paper describes one of these, a recent 44-well project.

The explorer has so far encountered 400 ft of reservoir pay zone in an area where it has three other producing fields.

BP and partners have sanctioned the Azeri Central East project, the next stage of development of the giant Azeri-Chirag-Deepwater Gunashli oilfield complex in the Azerbaijan sector of the Caspian Sea.

The startup of a second FPSO will add 115,000 BOPD to the deepwater project offshore Angola, bringing overall production capacity to 230,000 BOPD.

If sanctioned and developed, the deepwater Pecan field would be Ghana’s fourth producing offshore field. First oil is expected 35 months after sanction, which could come as early as this year.

The oil price downturn spawned a lull in deepwater enthusiasm, but better project execution and reduced project lead times have helped operators achieve lower costs and better returns. What does the landscape for deep water look like in the near term? Will operators get more involved?