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____________
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International Edition
Volume 72, Number 3
March 2012
Celebrating Over 50 Years of Trends, Tools, and Technology
CONTENTS
GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS
Mozambique, Tanzania emerging
as prolific deepwater gas plays ..............................................30
Mozambique is shaping up as a rival to Australia as a major new source
of LNG. This follows Anadarkos continued run of gas discoveries in
Rovuma basin deep offshore Area 1, and Enis potentially larger strike
in adjacent Area 4.
DRILLING & COMPLETION

Upgraded semi offers improved
motions, lower downtime ........................................................46
The new GVA 7600 semisubmersible drilling rig design is intended to
offer improved operability and flexibility allied to high HSE standards.
ENGINEERING, CONSTRUCTION,
& INSTALLATION
OSX ramps up to meet
Brazilian vessel demand .........................................................48
Brazils oil and gas service company, OSX Brasil S.A., has begun construction on the largest shipyard in the Americas, the Au Shipbuilding
Unit.
Submersible vehicle overcomes

restrictions of deepwater installations...................................51
Increasingly, the subsea industry is being asked to help develop more
complex fields in deeper water. These fields can require deployment of
large structures in hostile environments which challenge the capabilities of most existing installation vessels.
34
GEOLOGY & GEOPHYSICS
Seismic vessel count remains steady ................................ 34
The 2012 Seismic Vessel Survey found eight more vessels than in
the previous year, due to more and better reporting from the vessel
operators. Subtracting the six newly reported vessels gives an actual
net increase of three year-over-year.
Worldwide seismic vessel survey ....................................... 36

Detailed and comprehensive listing of the capabilities and features of
the worldwide seismic vessel survey fleet.
Optical fibers present opportunities and challenges

for geophysical applications ............................................... 42
Monitoring oil and gas reservoirs using large-scale, high-fidelity,
fiber-optics sensor systems can provide timely, predictive information
on reservoir performance.
PRODUCTION OPERATIONS
New multi-service vessel design
enhances development options ..............................................54
Operators are increasingly looking for vessels that can carry out light
well intervention at multiple depths, and that are flexible enough to
conduct a range of operations.
Virtual flow metering improves field data ..............................59

Nearly 10 years ago, BP launched its Field of the Future program
with the goal of safely operating assets at the technical limit of efficiency, recovery, and cost. Most of the technologies developed under
the program are digital in nature and focus on enhanced surveillance,
alerts, and control.
54
Offshore (ISSN 0030-0608) is published 12 times a year, monthly by PennWell, 1421 S. Sheridan Road, Tulsa, OK 74112. Periodicals class postage paid at Tulsa, OK, and additional offices.
Copyright 2012 by PennWell. (Registered in U.S. Patent Trademark Office.) All rights reserved. Permission, however, is granted for libraries and others registered with the Copyright Clearance
Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, Phone (508) 750-8400, Fax (508) 750-4744 to photocopy articles for a base fee of $1 per copy of the article plus 35 per page.
Payment should be sent directly to the CCC. Requests for bulk orders should be addressed to the Editor. Subscription prices: US $101.00 per year, Canada/Mexico $ 132.00 per year, All other
countries $167.00 per year (Airmail delivery: $234.00). Worldwide digital subscriptions: $101 per year. Single copy sales: US $10.00 per issue, Canada/Mexico $12.00 per issue, All other countries $14.00 per issue (Airmail delivery: $22.00. Single copy digital sales: $8 worldwide. Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: P.O. Box 122, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6S4. Back issues are
available upon request. POSTMASTER send form 3579 to Offshore, P.O. Box 3200, Northbrook, IL 60065-3200. To receive this magazine in digital format, go to www.omeda.com/os.
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Together, we can engineer a weld-less, leak-free,

custom-made piping system solutions for your offshore
applications. Your biggest pipe dream come true.
Complete Piping Solutions (CPS) from Parker combines our innovative Parange F37
non-welded piping system with a broad array of services to deliver the best-engineered
solutions for offshore operations. Parange is the proven alternative to costly, time-consuming
welding. Parker CPS centers worldwide provide the consultation, design, system fabrication and
installation you require. Your solution is tailored at every stage for maximum performance and
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supplier. For more information visit www.completepipingsolutions.com.
ENGINEERING YOUR SUCCESS.

www.parker.com 1 800 C-Parker
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International Edition
Volume 72, Number 3
March 2012
COVER: As operators move into

deeper waters and harsher environments, they are increasingly looking
to sophisticated but robust seismic
survey vessels to acquire the data
they need. Operating offshore Tanzania, the Fugro-Geoteam Geo Caspian
tows a 12 x 6,000 m (19,684 ft) x 100
m (328 ft) spread with SERCEL Sentinel streamers and Sodera G-Gun
as the source, with a full acoustic
network deployed for positioning, to
collect seismic data for Ophir Energy.
Photo courtesy Fugro-Geoteam.
SUBSEA
Reviewing the basics of subsea pumping systems .................................................. 61
Subsea pumps can be used to raise the rate of recovery, extend the duration of the peak production plateau, and reduce the final abandonment pressure, increasing the total amount of fluids
recovered from the reservoir. While each prospect is unique, the advent of subsea pumping
technology is expanding the range of the possible in subsea development.
FLOWLINES & PIPELINES

Immersion ultrasonic testing
offers inspection alternative ................ 62
The application of automated ultrasonic testing
for the examination of pipeline girth welds has
grown dramatically in the last decade. Its use is
being driven by the need to identify critical lack
of fusion flaws in narrow-gap, shallow-angle
groove welds flaws that are often difficult to
detect with radiographic methods.
62
D E P A R T M E N T S
________________
Online .................................................... 6
Comment ............................................... 8
Data ..................................................... 10
Global E&P .......................................... 12
Offshore Europe .................................. 16
Gulf of Mexico ..................................... 18
Subsea Systems ................................. 20
Vessels, Rigs, & Surface Systems ...... 22

Drilling & Production .......................... 24
Geosciences ........................................ 26
Offshore Automation Solutions .......... 28
Business Briefs ................................... 68
Advertisers Index............................... 71
Beyond the Horizon ............................ 72
____________
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PennWell
1455 West Loop South, Suite 400, Houston, TX 77027 U.S.A.

Tel: (01) 713 621-9720 Fax: (01) 713 963-6296
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Offshore-mag.com
Latest news
The latest news is posted daily for the offshore oil and gas industry covering
g
technology, companies, personnel moves, and products.
www.offshore-mag.com
New On Demand Webcasts

Steel Catenary Risers for High-Pressure/
High-Temperature Development
Steel catenary risers have emerged as an attractive solution for subsea field
development of deepwater offshore development. The notable advantage is thee
reliability and integrity of system over field life with relatively lower cost. However, the recent exploration success of high-pressure (up to 15-ksi) and hightemperature (up to 250F) reservoirs has posed design challenges in terms of
fabrication of thick-walled pipes, riser hang-off system selection, and long-term
m
fatigue design. These challenges are further enhanced when the application is
associated with floaters such as semisubmersible, FPSO, and TLP.
Dr. Rupak Ghosh will present ExxonMobils reliable design philosophy
for HP/HT SCR design. The issues discussed here center on fatigue design
strategy of thick-walled section, realistic soil/pipe modeling, and strain--based
design philosophy in survival and accidental conditions. Using some specific
case studies the proposed design philosophies will be compared to general
design philosophies adopted by the offshore industry.
http://www.offshore-mag.com/webcasts.html
AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Ron Kalusha ronk@pennwell.com
Tel: (918) 832-9208 Fax: (918) 831-9482
SUBSCRIBER SERVICES
Contact subscriber services for address changes
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OFFSHORE EVENTS
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CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
PennWell; 1421 S. Sheridan Rd., Tulsa, OK 74112
Member
All Rights reserved
Offshore ISSN-0030-0608
Printed in the U.S.A.
GST No. 126813153
CHAIRMAN:
Frank T. Lauinger
PRESIDENT/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER:
Robert F. Biolchini
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER:
Mark C. Wilmoth
Offshores Top 5 Projects of 2011
The editors of Offshoree have made their choices for winners of the Five Star
Award the top five offshore field development projects for 2011 and the
winners were announced in a webcast on Dec. 16, and in the December issue.
Learn how the industry is applying the latest technologies for production
and development in deepwater and other challenging offshore environments;
addressing key environmental and safety issues; and using lessons to make
remote and associated offshore fields economically viable and accessible to
the market.
http://www.offshore-mag.com/index/webcasts/
webcast-display/9602653627/webcasts/webcasts-offshore/
_______________________________________
live-events/offshore-top_5_projects1.html
___________________________
New maps, posters, & surveys

2012 Worldwide Seismic Vessels Survey
2012 Deepwater Gulf of Mexico Survey
West Africa 2011 Offshore Oil and Gas Concession Map
2011 Worldwide Offshore Pipeline Installation & Burial Contractors &
Vessels Survey
2011 Environmental Drilling & Completion Fluids Survey
2011 MWD/LWD Services Survey
2011 World Survey of Stimulation Vessels
2011 Rotary Steerables Survey
2011 Marine Seismic Vessel Survey
Download: www.offshore-mag.com/index/maps-posters.html
Publications Mail Agreement Number 40052420

GST No. 126813153
6 Offshore March 2012 www.offshore-mag.com
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__________
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COMMENT
David Paganie Houston
Offshore West Africa awards
Crawfish Beer and soft drinks

Barbecue Hot dogs Bratwurst
Live band Childrens games
Desserts Raffles
Proceeds go to Engineering Scholarships
Sunday, April 29 / 1-5 p.m.

$35/ticket ($40 at the door)
University of Houston
(entrance #1 off Spur 5)
Lynn Eusan Park

For tickets & sponsorship Information:
contact Diane Ashen, (713) 271-1983
Thank You 2011 Sponsors

TITANIUM SPONSORS
ASHEN & ASSOCIATES WORLDWIDE

EXECUTIVE SEARCH
RADOIL
AKER SOLUTIONS
BAKER HUGHES
CAMERON
DRIL-QUIP
GE OIL & GAS
PENNWELL
PLATINUM SPONSORS
AMECPARAGON
TECHNIP
STRESS ENGINEERING SERVICES
FORUM ENERGYTECHNOLOGIES
TESCO CORPORATION
OCEANEERING
FMC TECHNOLOGIES
PACKERS PLUS
SCHLUMBERGER
KEY ENERGY SERVICES
SCANA OFFSHORE
MARATHON OIL
VALLOUREC & MANNESMANN TUBES
WEATHERFORD
HALLIBURTON
CORPORATE SPONSORS
CHEVRON
FORGE USA
OIL STATES
DASS MACHINE OF
ARKANSAS
PennWell held the 16th edition of its Offshore West Africa (OWA) Conference & Exhibition this past January in Nigeria. The widespread protests and extremist activity in
the country deterred many industry professionals from attending the event. All things
considered, the event was a success. The quality of the presentations is among the many
reasons that the conference is now in its 17th year, with a dedicated following. Three
presentations from the recent edition of OWA were given top honors by the advisory
board. Awards were in three categories:
Young Engineer: Mr. Unwana Bassey, Total E&P Nigeria, Deepwater intelligent well
completion: case study of an installation failure in Usan project
Best Presentation: Mr. Akin Osuntoki, Richardson Oil & Gas Ltd., Local content
development closing opportunity gaps
Best Technical: Mr. Brian Ennever, Paladon Systems, Autonomous shutdown valve
for subsea PLEM valves.
Preparing a paper and presentation for a conference takes considerable time and effort, and often requires a rigorous approval process. A special thanks to all of speakers
for their hard work, and congratulations to the award winners.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the advisory board chairman of
OWA 2012, Engr. Francis Alabo Ogaree, General Manager, International Venture Operations, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. He was a true ambassador for the event
and a tremendous support to the PennWell team.
Offshore West Africa returns to Accra, Ghana, March 19-21, 2013. You are welcome to
submit an abstract via the conference website: www.offshorewestafrica.com.
Emerging deepwater gas play

Mozambique is shaping up as a rival to Australia as a major new source of LNG. This
follows Anadarkos continued run of gas discoveries in Rovuma basin deep offshore
Area 1, and Enis potentially larger strike in adjacent Area 4, according to Offshore EditorEurope, Jeremy Beckman. Anadarko plans to develop its natural gas discoveries with an
offshore hub platform tied directly to an LNG plant onshore. The operator suggests that
this would be one of the top five projects coming onstream throughout the world this
decade, alongside the Gorgon and Browse basin LNG schemes off northwest Australia.
Beckmans activity review and in-depth analysis of the emerging deepwater gas play
offshore Mozambique and Tanzania, begins on page 30.
Brazilian progress report

Brazilian operators Petrobras and OGX, both vying for its share of the countrys resourcerich presalt play, are moving closer to their stated goals. Petrobras has commissioned the
construction of all 28 newbuild drill rigs that it says are required to help meet its production
targets. Contracts for 26 of the rigs in the tender were finalized last month. Ocean Rig will
build five drillships; and Sete Brasil will build 21 rigs, which includes drillships and semisubmersibles. All of the rigs, which have local content requirements of 55% to 65%, are due
for delivery in 48 to 90 months. The agreement with Ocean Rig carries an average day rate
of $548,000. The Sete contract averages $530,000/day. Petrobras is targeting total production of about 6,418,000 boe/d by 2020; 1,993,000 bbl of which will come from presalt fields,
according to former president and CEO, Jos Sergio Gabrielli de Azevedo (Offshore, Nov.
2011). Gabrielli also said Petrobras expects the presalt finds will double Brazils reserves.
Meanwhile, OGX has first oil from an extended well test in the Waimea accumulation
in the Campos basin offshore Brazil. Converted by Keppel Shipyard in Singapore, FPSO
OSX-1 is anchored on site for the well test. The FPSO contractor, OSX, estimates OGX
requires an additional 18 FPSOs, five TLPs, and 24 wellhead platforms for delivery by
2019. Endorsed by its client, OSX is building what it says is the largest shipyard in the
Americas, Au Shipbuilding Unit. The Rio-based shipyard is expected to start off with
a $4.8-billion order book backed by Brazils national plan to invest $140 billion to grow
reserves to 100 Bboe by 2020. OGX has set a goal to produce about 1.4 MMb/d of oil by
2019. Offshore contributing editor, Gurdip Singh, visited with OSX and OGX in Singapore
during the launch of FPSO OSX-1. His full report begins on page 48.
To respond to articles in Offshore, or to offer articles for publication,

contact the editor by email (davidp@pennwell.com).
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__________________
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G L O B A L D ATA
Worldwide day rates
Worldwide offshore rig count & utilization rate

$437,141
$433,482
$433,242
$436,966
$446,243
$441,194
$430,624
$434,057
$406,623
$413,151
$410,909
$430,757
$667,000
$667,000
$667,000
$690,000
$690,000
$690,000
$690,000
$690,000
$690,000
$690,000
$690,000
$690,000
$32,000
$31,000
$31,000
$31,000
$31,000
$35,000
$35,754
$35,754
$20,000
$20,000
$36,000
$36,000
$107,998
$106,949
$106,551
$106,558
$105,793
$106,485
$107,352
$106,568
$105,403
$105,391
$106,372
$108,069
$335,000
$335,000
$335,000
$335,000
$339,000
$339,000
$339,000
$339,000
$339,000
$339,000
$339,000
$339,000
$83,000
$83,000
$83,000
$83,000
$83,000
$83,000
$85,000
$137,000
$137,000
$137,000
$137,000
$137,000
$360,555
$355,131
$357,129
$358,102
$362,597
$358,605
$363,124
$365,550
$366,309
$361,683
$359,990
$361,431
$665,000
$665,000
$665,000
$665,000
$665,000
$665,000
$665,000
$665,000
$665,000
$650,000
$650,000
$650,000
February 2010 January 2012

Total fleet
Contracted fleet utilization
Contracted
Working
950
100
850
90
750
80
650
70
550
60
450
50
350
b
Fe
40
10
ay
10
g
Au
10
v
No
10
b
Fe
11
ay
11
g
Au
11
v
No
11
East African and Indian Ocean platform expenditure

4,000
100
Source: Rigzone.com
90
3,500
80
3,000
70
2,500
60
50
2,000
40
1,500
30
1,000
20
500
Source: Infield Systems Ltd.
10
This month Infield Systems looks at the offshore platform

sector within the East African market and the countries
bordering the Indian Ocean. Within the next five years 90
platforms are expected to come onstream offshore India,
Bangladesh, Myanmar, and off the east coast of South
Africa, while operator expenditure on platform developments
onstream after 2016 extends to several other countries.
Both South Asia and East Africa are dominated by national
oil companies and independents, with the leading operators
expected to be ONGC, holding a 36% share of expenditure
during the 2012-2016 period, Reliance (12%) and Thailands
PTT (10%). This forecast is predominately driven by Indian
developments, comprising about 3% of global platform capital expenditure during the period. Capital intensive projects
in Indias peak year of 2012 include ONGCs Mumbai Cluster
FPSO, one of the countrys three floating platform projects
commencing before 2016. Offshore Myanmar projects are
being driven by rising Chinese investments, as seen in the
Daewoo International development of offshore blocks A1 and
A3 during the period. Thailands PTT is also expected to direct
$US million
$155,000
$90,000
$90,000
$90,000
$90,000
$90,000
$90,000
$90,000
$90,000
$90,000
$90,000
$90,000
Drillship
2011 Feb
2011 Mar
2011 April
2011 May
2011 June
2011 July
2011 Aug
2011 Sept
2011 Oct
2011 Nov
2011 Dec
2012 Jan
Jackup
2011 Feb
2011 Mar
2011 April
2011 May
2011 June
2011 July
2011 Aug
2011 Sept
2011 Oct
2011 Nov
2011 Dec
2012 Jan
Semi
2011 Feb
2011 Mar
2011 April
2011 May
2011 June
2011 July
2011 Aug
2011 Sept
2011 Oct
2011 Nov
2011 Dec
2012 Jan
No. of rigs
Maximum
Source: IHS
Average
Fleet utilization rate
Minimum
% of total regional platform capex
Year/Month
0
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Year of spend
Mozabique
Republic of
South Africa (East)
Bangladesh
Pakistan
Myanmar
Tanzania
India
Total regional platform capex
significant investment toward the Zawtika/Zatila field where both fixed and floating platforms are to be installed.
The decline in expenditure offshore Myanmar after 2012 begins to be offset by the end of the period by a rise in
activity within the emerging East African markets of Tanzania and to a lesser extent Mozambique. The East African
market, along with increasing prospectivity offshore South Africa, is expected to attract significant exploration
activity over the next five years. With a series of promising discoveries, international oil companies are increasing investments in the region. Eni has announced a $50-billion investment plan in Mozambique following the giant
Mamba-South find, while leading deepwater operator Petrobras is one of several undertaking explorations offshore
Tanzania in 2012.
Catarina Podevyn, Associate Analyst, Infield Systems Ltd.
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GLOBAL E&P
North America
Shell has received provisional approval from the Bureau of Ocean
and Energy Management for its revised exploration program in the
Chukchi Sea off Alaska. Assuming permission from three other US environmental/marine fisheries departments, the company could drill up
to six wells, starting this year, although the window might be limited by
rules governing ice encroachment at the proposed drill site.
Buccaneer Energy, in partnership with BlueCrest Energy II, has
agreed to acquire two leases in the Cook Inlet from Pioneer Natural
Resources Alaska. One contains the shallow-water Cosmo oil and gas
field, which Buccaneer plans to develop in phases. The initial scheme
could involve the jackup Endeavour drilling offshore gas wells as tiebacks to an existing onshore production site and also water injector
wells. Oil wells would be drilled directly from the onshore site.
Chevron plans a 3D seismic survey this summer over the EL 460

block in the Canadian Beaufort Sea, in water depths ranging from
800-1,800 m (2,624-5,905 ft). In the Orphan basin off Newfoundland
and Labrador, the company will drill an exploratory well this year on
license 1074R in partnership with Statoil and Repsol.
Also off Canadas east coast, Husky Energy has applied to amend
its plan for the North Amethyst development to include the deeper Hibernia formation. The company is currently evaluating the addition of
a wellhead and drilling platform for future development of the White
Rose region, and expects to award FEED contracts by mid-year.
South America
Load-out of riser for OGX Waimea project. Photo courtesy of GE Oil & Gas.
OGX has produced its first oil as an operator in the Brazilian sector, following the start of an extended well test on the Waimea field
in the Campos basin. The operation is being performed from the turret-moored FPSO OSX-1. OGX plans to test production at different
flow rates, stabilizing eventually at 15,000 b/d, with the oil sold to
Shell in two cargoes. The company expects to declare commerciality
for Waimea by mid-year and lift production by year-end above 40,000
b/d via two additional horizontal wells. Among the equipment suppliers, GE provided turnkey engineering for the subsea facilities,
which include midwater arches.
In the shallow-water Santos basin, OGX has discovered hydrocarbons in the Albian and Aptian sections of the Fortaleza well, with 110
m (361 ft) of net pay.
Qualification testing has finished for the worlds first small-scale

gas-to-liquids facility at Petrobras CENPES Research and Development Center in Brazil. According to supplier CompactGTL, the technology incorporates all components required for treating associated
gas at remote offshore oilfield locations, including Fischer Tropsch
synthesis.
Jeremy Beckman London
The semisubmersible Leiv Eiriksson has started the latest multiwell campaign off the Falklands, and the first-ever exploratory well
south of the islands. Currently the rig is drilling the Darwin East
prospect in license PL0178 for operator Borders & Southern Petroleum, targeting a lower Cretaceus sandstone reservoir. The rig will
later work for Falkland Oil & Gas.
West Africa
Gambias Ministry of Petroleum has provisionally offered two offshore exploration blocks to CAMAC Energy. The A2 and A5 concessions are in water depths ranging from 600-1,000 m (1,968-3,281 ft).
Chevrons well on the Jammah prospect drilled in 1979 on what is
now A2 exhibited gas shows, and recent 3D seismic data acquired
over two blocks to the west has revealed various prospects and leads.
Tullow Oil has approval from Ghanas government for the $1.1-billion Phase 1A development of the Jubilee field. The scheme calls for
five new production wells, three water injectors and an expanded
subsea facilities network, the latter to be installed by Technip. At the
main Jubilee production center, a new-design completion has been
fitted to the J-07 well to stem unexpected declining productivity. The
new completion will probably be featured in the Phase 1A wells.
Total and NNPC have finally started the long-delayed second

phase of the Ofon field development, 65 km (40 mi) offshore Nigeria
in the OML 102 lease. Four new platforms have been commissioned,
the main purpose being to recover gas which will be compressed
offshore prior to export to the mainland.
Afren has discovered oil and gas in the Okoro East structure off
southeast Nigeria, via a well drilled by the jackup Transocean Adriatic
IX. Oil was encountered at Tertiary level, but there was also substantial pay from deeper zones previously unexplored in this area.
The semisubmersible Eirik Raude should begin a 60-day exploration program in April for Ophir Energy off Equatorial Guinea. The
first of three firm wells will test stacked targets close to the Fortuna
gas discovery in block R. Next up will be wells on the Tonel and
Silenus East gas prospects. Gas finds on the block and on blocks O
and I could be set aside for a proposed second onshore LNG train.
Namibias Ministry of Mines and Energy has sanctioned BPs

farm-in to offshore block 2714A. BP will take a 25% interest from
Enigma Oil & Gas, and has agreed to cover Enigma parent company
Chariot Oil and Gas for its share of the first commitment well, Kabeljou-1, on the giant Nimrod structure. This is due to be drilled during
the second half of 2012.
Eastern Europe
Rosneft has been awarded exploration and production licenses for
three blocks in the Russian sector of the Barents Sea. The Tsentralno-Barentsevsky, Fedynsky and Perseevsky concessions all adjoin
the Norwegian sector, and contain estimated resources of 3.3 billion
metric tons (3.64 billion tons) of oil and gas/condensate and up to
2,800 bcm (98,881 bcf) of gas. Rosneft expects to acquire 2D and 3D
seismic and drill up to five exploratory wells.
ExxonMobil and OMV Petrom have found gas with their first
deepwater exploration well in the Romanian sector of the Barents
Sea. Domino-1 was drilled in 1,000 m (3,281 ft) of water in the Neptun block, 170 km (106 mi) offshore.
Russias Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has called for faster progress with the South Stream project. This involves installation of a
large-diameter pipeline in the southern waters of the Black Sea, taking
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GLOBAL E&P
gas from Russian onshore fields to southern

and eastern Europe. Gazproms management
committee has pledged to bring the construction start forward to this December.
Caspian Sea
Eurasia Drilling has contracted Blue Water Shipping to deliver a newbuild jackup to
the Caspian. The rig is under construction
at Lamprells Hamriyah complex in Sharjah.
Starting next month it will be transported in
three shipments onboard heavy-lift vessels

from Dubai to the Black Sea, and will then
sail through the Volga River system into the
Caspian Sea.
Dragon Oil expects to employ three rigs

throughout this year for development drilling on its fields in the Cheleken Contract
Area off Turkmenistan. This summer,
construction of the first of two new 16-slot
platforms (Dzhygalybeg A) should be com-
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__________
pleted. These will be able to accommodate

either a jackup or platform-based rig. Later
in the year the new block-4 riser platform
should also be finished.
Middle East
Noble Energys run of deepwater drilling
successes continues in the Israeli sector of
the Levant basin. The latest find, Tanin in
the Alon A license, 13 mi (21 km) northwest
of the Tamar field, found gas in the lower
Miocene. Noble estimates reserves in the
range 0.9-1.4 tcf.
The companys partners Delek Drilling
and Avner Oil have flagged up technical problems at Yam Tethys, Israels sole nearshore
gas production complex. They say output has
been impacted by a decline in the Mary B
reservoir, but this could be offset by bringing forward development of the offshore Noa
North reservoir. Another option is to develop
probable gas reserves in the Ashkelon lease.
National Iranian Offshore Oil Co. expects

oil production from the Forouzan field in
the Persian Gulf to rise by 20% over the next
year or so. The field overlaps Iranian and
Saudi waters exploration and production
activities started more than four decades
ago. Elsewhere in the Persian Gulf, early production from Phase 12 of the South Pars gas
field should start shortly, with first gas from
Phases 17 and 18 now likely in June.
India
ONGC has two fresh shallow--water gas
finds: Alankari in the KG basin, 7 km (4.3 mi)
from the coast of Andhra Pradesh state; and
GSS104NAA#1 in the Western Offshore basin,
90 km (56 mi) from the Gujarat state coast.
The board has approved a feasibility report on improving recovery from the B-173A
oil and gas field off western India, which was
developed in 1994. ONGCs plans call for an
additional, bridge-linked wellhead platform
and drilling of three new wells.
Asia/Pacific
Premier Oil has issued an EPCI contract
for the Anoa Phase 4 development in the Indonesian sector of the Natuna Sea. The project, which should be completed next year,
will develop a further 200 bcf by increasing
the existing Anoa complexs compression
capacity. Premier also expects government
sanction for development of the Pelikan
and Naga gas fields by mid-March, with a
planned start-up in 2014.
Santos has started gas production from the
Wortel project in the Sampang PSC off eastern
Java. Facilities include an unmanned wellhead
platform connected to two gas wells, with gas
exported through a 10-km (6.2-mi) pipeline to
the existing process complex at Oyong.
Brunswick Commercial and Government Products (BCGP) is a division of Brunswick Corporation the largest marine manufacturer in the world.
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GLOBAL E&P
Shell and Petronas have signed two new PSCs for offshore enhanced
oil recovery projects. This will involve development of six oil fields in
the Baram Delta off Sarawak and three oil fields in the North Sabah
development area offshore Sabah. Both licenses run through 2040.
TNK-BP have started drilling their first well at the Lan Do gas field
offshore Vietnam. Production from Lan Dos two vertical subsea wells
will head 28 km (17 mi) west to the Lan Tay platform in block 06.1 via
a 12-in. (30.5-cm) flowline. Start-up is due late this year.
Australia
INPEX and Total have launched the $34-billion Ichthys LNG project off northwest Australia. This involves development of 3 Bboe of
gas and condensate from the Ichthys field in 260 m (853 ft) water
depth. An offshore central processing facility (CPF1) will provide
gas treatment, and a 335-m (1,100-ft) long floating processing, storage and offloading unit (FPSO2) will receive the produced condensate. The two installations will be among the largest in the world,
according to Total.
SBM will provide the turret and mooring system for the FPSO,
with installation scheduled for mid-2015. McDermott has the $2-billion infield SURF contract much of its 16,000 metric tons of subsea
structures will be manufactured in Batam Island, Indonesia. McDermott and Heerema will jointly install the subsea facilities. Among the
other main contracts, GE Oil & Gas is supplying subsea hardware,
gas turbines and compressors (total value around $1 billion); Saipem
will install the 889-km (552-mi), 42-in. (1.07-m) diameter pipeline taking supplies from CPF1 to a new processing plant in Darwin, using
the vessels Castorone and Semac 1.
A versatile
partner
Ichthys is the latest LNG mega-project off NW Australia.
Two LNG trains will be built at the Darwin site, each capable of producing 4.2 million metric tons per year of LNG, much of this contracted
to Taiwanese and Japanese buyers. At peak, Ichthys will also generate
1.6 million metric tons per year of LPG and 100,000 b/d of condensate.
Jumbo Offshore safely transports and installs

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depths up to 3,000 m. Our versatile vessels are
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Over the last 10 years Jumbo has built up a solid
and reliable reputation as a safe transport and
offshore installation contractor. Our concept
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provide an extremely efcient solution.
www.jumbo-offshore.nl
____________
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OFFSHORE EUROPE
Jeremy Beckman London
Norway heavyweights
unveil latest hubs
Norways offshore construction
spree is set to intensify, with four major
new projects close to the launch pad.
Lundin Petroleum has submitted its
long-awaited plan for the 186 MMboe
Luno field in the North Sea, which also
takes in the basement Tellus discovery.
The $4-billion scheme calls for construction of a processing platform, with
Kvaerner the designated contractor for
the jacket, and an oil export pipeline
to the Grane field facilities. Rowan will
provide a jackup to drill the 15 planned
development wells.
Luno is due onstream in late 2015,
building to a peak of 90,000 b/d. However, the platform will have processing
capacity of more than 120,000 b/d to
accommodate assumed throughput
from Det norske oljeseleskaps nearby
Draupne development.
Totals solution for the Hild field in
the North Sea carries a similar price
tag. The project is designed to tap separate gas condensate and oil reservoirs,
initially from the Hild Ost and Hild Ol structures, without pressure support. Later, oil
will be extracted from Hild Sentral and Hild
Hild field development

location offshore Norway.
Vest in the Frigg formation using gas lift.

Development will be based around an integrated wellhead, production, and accom-
modation platform in 115 m (377 ft)

water depth. Processed gas will flow to
St Fergus in eastern Scotland via a new
pipeline connecting to the Frigg UK
trunkline system. Liquids will head to
a 620,000-bbl dedicated storage vessel
which will separate out produced water for reinjection, with the remaining
oil exported via shuttle tankers. Power
will be supplied by a 170-km (105-mi)
subsea cable, claimed to be the worlds
longest AC power link from shore to an
offshore platform.
Still in the North Sea, Statoil and
its partners have committed to a fixed
platform for the Dagny, Dagny East,
and Eirin accumulations, which have
combined reserves of 300 MMboe.
Development will cost up to $4.9 billion, with the gas exported to Statoils
Sleipner East complex, 20 km (18.6 mi)
to the southwest, and the oil probably
offloaded to visiting tankers.
In the Voering area of the Norwegian
Sea, Statoils Luva gas condensate field will
be exploited via Norways first spar platform. Luno is 300 km (186 mi) offshore in
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OFFSHORE EUROPE
1,300 m (4,265 ft) water depth. Aside from

being the nations deepest water development to date, it is also remote from existing
offshore infrastructure, the nearest being
the Norne facilities 140 km (87 mi) away.
Statoil says the spar will be one of the
worlds largest, with processing capacity
for 23 MMcm/d of gas, and storage for condensate. There will be provision for at least
nine subsea wells, with the gas transported
through a new 480-km (298-mi), 30-36-in.
(76-91-cm) subsea pipeline to the processing
complex at Nhyamna, western Norway that
currently serves the Ormen Lange field.
The pipeline will also connect to Norske
Shells Linnorm field, a planned subsea tieback to the Draugen platform, and to RWE
Deas (assumed) Zidane development. An
additional link is possible to the Haltenbanken area of the Norwegian Sea to address
gas capacity constraints in the Aasgard
Transport pipeline system. Start-up at Luva
is currently scheduled for 2016.
a below-par result early this year from an appraisal well on the Avaldsnes section, joint
operators Lundin and Statoil are sticking
to their prognosis of 3.3 Bboe recoverable,
but this will have to be proven by further
extensive delineation drilling in 2012. The
discovery shows that the era of easy oil on
the Norwegian shelf is not over, said Bjorn
Kare Viken, Statoil SVP Subsea and Marine
Technology, at GE Oil & Gas annual industry meeting in Florence. We just need to
think differently.
Norways recent run of exploration successes continues to drive demand for fresh
acreage. The Petroleum and Energy Ministry has awarded 60 new production licenses
to 42 companies under the countrys 2011
Awards in Pre-Defined Areas round. The
bidding process starts again this summer
when the Ministry rolls out the next list of
blocks available under Norways 22nd licensing round.
Statoil overhauls
subsea controls
Norwegian licensing
delivers results
By far Norways largest unharnessed resource is Johan Sverdrup, the new name for
the unitized Avaldsnes/Aldous discoveries
on the Utsira High in the North Sea. Despite
Statoil has started replacing subsea control systems in some of its older wells in the
North Sea with GEs SemStar 5 systems.
Overhauls will be performed on a total of
26 wells on the North Sea Tordis and Vigdis
fields, which came onstream in the 1990s via

connections to the Gullfaks C and Snorre
A platforms. The aim is to help keep both
fields in production through 2030.
These are the first subsea applications for
SemStar 5, which was adapted to Statoils
requirements, according to Joar Kristenses,
project manager for the Tordis/Vigdis modification program. The fiber optics-based
technology is designed for remote monitoring and operation from a shore-based location, and incorporates equipment for realtime diagnosis of seabed equipment, sand
monitoring, and leak detection.
Rod Christie, VP Subsea Systems at GE,
describes SemStar V as the next-generation
subsea control system, which can be easily be retrofitted to a well by means of an
engineered adaptor, after the obsolete control module system has been pulled out. At
Statoils request, the company performed full
system tests in over-pressured conditions at
its hyperbaric chamber in Nailsea, UK prior
to installation offshore. Our system provides
open architecture and higher data rates,
Christie added. Under the next development phase, we are looking to enhance the
technology by developing smart algorithms
and improved diagnostics to give Statoil more
information on integrity management.
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GULF OF MEXICO
Notes of optimism and caution

for Gulf of Mexico E&P activity
A resurgence in deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico has the
region on track to return to normal by years end, according to a
recent report in the Houston Chronicle.
There were 45 rigs stationed in the Gulf in the third week of January, compared with 27 during the same week in 2011, according to
the Baker Hughes rotary rig count.
The development is expected to boost profits for oilfield service
companies, and the comeback improved year-end financial results
for Schlumberger. The company reported a 36% increase in its
fourth-quarter profit in January.
We are quite optimistic on the outlook for the Gulf of Mexico,
Schlumberger CEO Paal Kibsgaard was quoted as saying. We
should be at pre-Macondo levels for deepwater drilling rigs by the
latter part of 2012. Kibsgaard said he expects a new rig to enter the
region each month of this year.
This optimistic outlook was affirmed by the recently released
Deloitte oil and gas mergers and acquisitions report, which also
concluded that activity is finally picking back up in the Gulf. Jed
Shreve, Principal, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP, noted
that in mid-December 2011, the Interior Departments Bureau of
Ocean Energy Management held its first auction since the Macondo
incident, more than 18 months ago an indication that activity in
the GoM will pick back up, Shreve observed. That sentiment was
echoed by Trevear Thomas, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP, who
also noted the beginning of a return to normal activity levels. After
virtually halting after the Macondo incident, deals are now coming
in and permits are being approved, Thomas observed.
But not all sources are painting a rosy picture. According to
Bloomberg, Royal Dutch Shell has been losing about $1 billion a
year from drilling delays in the Gulf since the Macondo accident.
Shells production in the region will be curbed by about 50,000 boe
this year, similar to 2011, CFO Simon Henry was quoted to say. The
company, which had planned to raise output to 3.5 MMboe/d in
2012, is now warning that production could be lower due to Gulf
drilling delays, asset sales, and oil and gas prices in the United
States. According to the report, Shell expects to return to planned
operations off the Gulf Coast by 2014.
And, according to a recent report in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, smaller to medium-sized contractors and service companies
in Louisiana are still reeling from the effects of the moratorium and
subsequent pace of permitting. The newspaper cited a study issued
by the economic development agency Greater New Orleans Inc.
The study found that that these companies many of which
service the offshore oil and gas industry in the Gulf are cutting
employee salaries, dipping into their cash reserves, and moving
business out of the GoM to stay afloat. The study tied these bleak
findings to the federal deepwater drilling moratorium.
The study also found that some business owners are continuing
to operate even as their companies fail to turn a profit, and as they
have to reach into their personal savings to remain in business.
The study calls the affected businesses hidden victims of the
federal deepwater drilling moratorium because they have remained
operational and largely avoided laying off workers, which makes
their suffering more likely to go unnoticed.
The study also noted that even though the drilling moratorium has
been lifted, permit issuance has been slower than in the years before
the spill. In the past three months, two deepwater permits were issued
per month on average, according to the Gulf Permit Index, released
each month by GNO Inc. That is a 66% decrease from the monthly
average in the year before the spill, and a 71% drop from the historical
monthly average of seven new permits per month, according to the
GNO data. The Times-Picayune report quoted Michael Hecht, presi-
Bruce Beaubouef Houston
dent and chief executive officer of GNO Inc., to say that the study
findings will be used to lobby the federal government to create more
favorable laws regarding permitting for the energy industry.
McDermott, Helix sign

spool base services agreement
McDermott International, Inc. says it has signed a 10-year frame
agreement with Helix Subsea Construction, Inc. for spool base services in the Gulf of Mexico.
This agreement allows McDermott, when contracting with Helix, to offer full-service, shore-based pipeline stalking and spooling
services from Helixs premier 120-acre Gulf of Mexico spool base
at Ingleside, Texas, to pursue deepwater and ultra-deepwater installation projects, explained Stephen M. Johnson, chairman of the
board, president and CEO, McDermott.
McDermott says it will employ strict welding procedures, advanced welding technology and technical experts to meet or exceed client welding
criteria for deepwater subsea pipelines, from the Ingleside-based spool
facility. Photo courtesy of Helix Subsea Construction, Inc.
By combining Helixs established spool base services with McDermotts welding technology to support its newest subsea construction
vessels and expanding subsea engineering resources, Johnson said
that McDermott can further offer full-service engineering, procurement, construction, and installation for deepwater and ultra-deepwater subsea projects for Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic customers.
Through the cooperation agreement, McDermott will fabricate the
required mile-long stalks at Ingleside, and employ its own in-house
automatic welding equipment, technology and technicians. The company says that these facilities and personnel will enable it to meet the
stringent welding criteria required for deepwater subsea pipelines.
The spool base is also designed for fabrication of pipeline end terminations, pipeline end manifolds, subsea manifolds, and jumpers.
McDermotts subsea construction vessels North Ocean 102
(NO102) and new-build lay vessel North Ocean 105 (LV105), due
to be completed later this summer, both have reel-lay capabilities.
LV105 is designed to lay both flexible and rigid pipe up to 16-in. diameter, with tension and hang-off clamp capacities of 440 tons and
550 tons, respectively. NO102 offers flexible and umbilical installation and is equipped with a 330-ton low squeeze pressure single tensioner and high capacity carousel.
Anadarko contracts ENSCO 8506 for GoM

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. has contracted the newbuild ENSCO
8506 ultra-deepwater semisubmersible drilling rig to work in the US
Gulf of Mexico for 30 months at a day rate of $530,000, plus adjustments. The rig is scheduled for delivery by Keppel FELS Ltd. in
Singapore during 3Q 2012 with the contract to begin in the fourth
quarter following sea trials, acceptance testing, and mobilization.
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SUBSEA SYSTEMS
Gene Kliewer Houston
New global subsea

market study out
from Infield Systems
NEW TECHNOLOGY REPORTS

New pile installation method succeeds offshore Brazil
Infield Systems has released its Global

Perspectives Subsea Market Report To
2016. The report aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of its many facets. Information highlights the differing market dynamics, the changing investment opportunities,
the emergence and implementation of new
technology, and the dominance of different
companies and manufacturers in each region.
The dual challenges of sustaining production in mature regions and effectively
tapping uncapped reserves in growth areas
boost the potential for subsea capital expenditure through the forecast period.
Operators are forced to venture into remote and harsher locations, Infield points
out. These projects require top-tier equipment that can cost significantly more than
the standard equivalent. Infield Systems
estimates that ultra-deepwater installations
will account for almost 25% of the annual tree
market by 2016.
Prospects for manufacturers are also positive. The outlook shows a well-supplied market with a total capacity of 690 trees. Toward
the end of the forecast period, Infield Systems expects higher utilization rates and the
start of a saturated market, driven mostly by
the increasing demand for subsea trees in
main phases in Brazil and West Africa. Global subsea tree manufacturers utilization
rates are expected to increase to an average
of 75% in the next three years, up from 49%
in the 2009-2011 period.
Advances in technology are being tested
and deployed in response to the offshore
industrys demand for solutions to these
challenges, which also include boosting flow
rates in low pressure reservoirs, accommodating a larger number of fields tied back
to host facilities, and ensuring the energy
and cost efficiency of a project. Projects that
could benefit from the use of advanced seabed technologies include the mature fields
of the North Sea and the US GoM, where a
large number of small developments are expected to be tied back to existing platforms
in order to be commercially viable.
Infield Systems also expects that West Africa will be a key region for implementing
subsea processing. In Africa, oil companies
such as Total, BP, ExxonMobil, Chevron,
and Eni will try to take advantage of the areas ample resources to leverage against the
declining reserves from other mature areas.
Total leads the subsea bill with a projected
$8 billion spend within the forecast period.
Asia is increasingly important as it is the
fastest growing region in terms of energy
demand, and the hub of the global LNG sector, notes Infield Systems.
Working in Waimea field offshore Brazil in the Campos basin, Large Diameter Drilling
Ltd. has completed its first offshore pile installation using its StabFrame equipment.
Large Diameter Drilling and MENCK GmbH jointly developed the StabFrame to
stabilize piles for underwater driving.
The operation was associated with a contract to MENCK by Wellstream International Ltd. The contract required MENCK to drive ten 84-in. mooring piles in water depths
of up to 140 m (450 ft) using an MHU 500T hydraulic hammer. The piles were for an
FPSO mooring system on the OGX Petroleo e Gas development in Waimea field.
Steered via a work-class ROV, the StabFrame stabilizes a vertical pile in varying
soil conditions. The StabFrames hydraulic release mechanism allows the pile to be
driven further into the seabed, if required, before opening the frame. In this way, the
StabFrame can adjust to unpredictable seabed conditions.
Despite strong currents, estimated at times to be more than 3.5 knots, the project
finished without incident or injury, and ahead of schedule.
FlexGel seals North Sea annulus riser breach

Flexlife says it has successfully applied its FlexGel product to tackle corrosion in a
North Sea operation for a major oil company.
Flexlife had discovered the annulus breach during testing in a 4.5-in. (11.4-cm) gas
main flexible riser, 4.5 m (14.7 ft) subsea.
The company applied 9,500 l (60 bbl) of FlexGel to fill the I-tube from 11.5 m (37.7 ft)
above the sea surface to 33.5 m (110 ft) subsea. It was pumped in approximate meter
increments to allow time for the product to settle and displace all water and air in
order to fully surround the breach.
Flexlifes Stuart Mitchell said: It is common for the outer sheath of flexible risers
and umbilicals to be damaged either during installation or even by regular friction
caused during operation.
He said that the enclosed area inside a caisson is problematic because there is
restricted access for inspection, and damage usually occurs around the splash zone
where oxygenated seawater can accelerate corrosion.
FlexGel, Mitchell said, can be deployed from topside or subsea without the need for
traditional intervention. The oil-based product is non-soluble in water, with a density
that can be adjusted to suit the application. In this case, the formulation was devised to
halt corrosion of damaged areas of flexible risers or umbilicals within caissons.
JIP to study deepwater lifting standards

DNV has initiated a joint industry project to establish a unified safety approach for
deepwater lifting.
Saying that subsea lifting standards and regulations have not kept up with the
demand for deepwater challenges, or the demand for greater lifting capacity, and the
introduction of motion compensation, DNV has 14 participants in the project and
expects a Recommended Practice before year end.
The participants are: Statoil, Petrobras, Lundin Norway, Marathon Oil Norge, Technip,
Subsea 7, Saipem, Heerema Marine Contractors, Cargotec, Liebherr Werk Nenzing, TTS
Energy, Huse Engineering (incl. Rolls-Royce), SamsonRope, and W. Giertsen Services.
Australia is emerging as a major player

in the global natural gas market. Post 2013,
a significant backlog of major projects is
predicted to provide a boost to the market.
More than 50% of the forecast subsea market is expected to relate to subsea tiebacks
to a floating or fixed platform or a terminal.
Europe is one of the largest energy markets in the world yet it faces oil and gas production decline. The declining production in
this mature region dictates the need for additional expenditure on infrastructure, EOR
technologies, and exploration to sustain or
enhance existing levels.
Latin America, particularly Brazil, has the
potential to be a major offshore energy fron-
tier. Petrobras has begun to reveal reserve

estimates for its presalt finds that stand to
significantly increase Brazils total estimated level of reserves. Thirty-eight percent of
the projected subsea capex will be needed to
develop the presalt projects.
North America finds itself in a challenging
period. With global recession followed by the
Deepwater Horizon accident, the last two years
have seen a change in the regulatory environment governing operator activities across
the region. Any future subsea equipment and
infrastructure will need to comply with these
regulations and have higher safety specifications, something that will lead to greater capital expenditure per development.
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VESSELS, RIGS, & SURFACE SYSTEMS
New Infield Systems report

assesses vessel demand
Infield Systems has issued its Global Perspective Specialist Vessels Market Report To
2016, which provides coverage of the construction and construction support vessels
that are employed in the development of offshore oil and gas fields. The third edition of
this report provides analysis of global and regional trends and the supply and demand dynamics for the period 2007 through to 2016.
The report assesses the demand for offshore construction activity on a global basis
to identify key regions and gauge supply developments as the worlds economy slowly
emerges from the recent economic downturn.
It notes that in 2009, the market was sustained to an extent by the high number of
projects sanctioned during the peak years
of 2006-2007. In the latter part of the year
demand fell away, especially within the spot
market.
The arrival of transcontinental pipelines
and the deepwater tie in of various satellite
wells corresponds to an increased level of
subsea installations, and Infield says it expects to see activity increase throughout the
period of analysis. Demand has the potential
to peak during 2015.
The report notes that the largest level of
demand has traditionally been found within
North America and the Gulf of Mexico in particular. Infield says that the existing infrastructure in the GoM remains both a strength and
an opportunity due to the availability of assets,
and because some of the existing infrastructure will potentially need to be replaced at
some stage in the near to medium term.
The company says it also expects substantial growth in Asia and West Africa to 2016.
The growth in activity throughout Africa will
be driven by West African projects where
developments within Angola, Nigeria, and to
a lesser extent Ghana are likely to characterize the region. African projects are one of
the key constituents of the emergent deepwater market and many vessel operators see
the region as key to their continued utilization of strategic assets.
The Asian market is diverse in comparison. The market is driven by numerous
countries including Malaysia, India, China,
and Indonesia. Each displays differing dynamics, providing a slightly different opportunity for vessel operators. This spread of
demand shows that expansion in the region
is not centered upon one, or even two countries like in Africa; and is instead shared,
making Asian waters attractive to vessel operators keen to secure high utilization.
Within Europe, the report projects growth
not from the established North Sea, but from
second stage production, the west of Shetlands, and the development of trunk and ex-
port lines. The specialist vessel market has traditionally been focused upon shallow waters,
with the vast majority of construction being
conducted close to shore. Infield Systems says
it expect to see a growth in deepwater activity
as shallow-water plays are reduced in number.
PSV CBO Atlntico delivered

The platform supply vessel CBO Atlntico
has been delivered, the first of six Ulsteindesigned X-BOW vessels to be built in Brazil, and the very first of the PX106 design.
The vessel was constructed at Estaleiro
Alianca shipyard in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
for shipowner CBO (Companhia Brasileira
de Offshore). CBO has already two PSVs of
P106 design from Ulstein in its fleet.
When CBO decided to order Ulsteindesigned PSVs for Petrobras oil rigs support activities outside Brazil in 2010 and
2011, it called for ships that could operate
in increasingly complex environments while
providing quality services, ensuring safety,
and protecting sensitive marine environments. Their final decision was to order
two small vessels (PX106) and four large
vessels (PX105). The vessels comply with
Petrobras PSV3000 and PSV4500 tenders,
and are designed for effective and flexible
transportation of bulk and general cargo to
installations offshore. The contracts include
delivery of design, engineering, main equipment, and commissioning follow-up.
CBO Atlntico measures 76.3 m (250.3 ft)
(length overall) by 16 m (52.5 ft) (breadth),
and the depth to main deck is 7.5 m (24.6 ft).
The cargo deck area is 660 sq m (7,104 sq ft).
Three of the tanks are multitanks of the Car-
The platform supply vessel CBO Atlntico left

the Estaleiro Alianca shipyard in Rio de Janeiro
in early February and has now entered into an
eight-year contract with Petrobras. Photo courtesy Estaleiro Alianca/Ulstein Group .
Bruce Beaubouef Houston
gomax system. She has diesel electric propulsion and azimuth propellers, and can keep a
speed of approximately 15 knots. The vessel
left the yard on Feb. 2 and has entered into an
eight-year contract with Petrobras.
The second PX106 is to be delivered later
this year, and four PSVs of PX105 design will
be delivered during 20122013.
McDermott will deploy its specialty subsea

construction vessel North Ocean 102 as part of
its work on the Ichthys LNG project.
McDermott wins $2-billion

Ichthys SURF contract
INPEX has contracted McDermott for the
Ichthys gas/condensate field subsea umbilical, riser, flowline (SURF) work for $2 billion.
McDermotts scope includes engineering,
procurement, construction, installation, and
pre-commissioning (EPIC) of production
flowlines and a MEG injection system, startup condensate transfer and fuel gas transfer
flowlines, control systems, and related work.
McDermott also will install moorings for
the FPSO and central processing facility,
and perform installation engineering on future SURF work.
Engineering and procurement are under
way and fabrication of 16,000 metric tons
(17,637 tons) of subsea equipment will begin
in 2013 at Batam Island, Indonesia.
Installation will use McDermotts specialty
subsea construction vessels Emerald Sea and
North Ocean 102. McDermott and Heerema
Marine Contractors are working on transportation and installation using the heavy-lift, Jlay, and reel lay newbuild vessel Aegir.
The Ichthys LNG project is a joint venture
between INPEX and Total. Gas from the Ichthys, in the Browse basin approximately 200
km (124 mi) offshore Western Australia, will
undergo preliminary processing offshore to
remove water and extract condensate. The
gas will then be exported to onshore processing facilities in Darwin via an 889-km
(552-mi) subsea pipeline. The finished project is expected to produce 8.4 million metric
tons (4.4 million tons) of LNG and 1.6 million metric tons (1.76 million tons) of LPG a
year, along with 100,000 b/d of condensate
at peak.
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___________________
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DRILLING & PRODUCTION
Optimism for 2012

This will be a game-changing year for the oil and gas industry, at
least in the North American region, according to a recent report by
the Economist Intelligence Unit and GL Noble Denton.
The report found that despite the general status of the overall
economy, the 200 industry board-level directors, influencers, and
policymakers surveyed are optimistic and confident across the energy industry, both about the upstream and downstream.
Some of the highlights:
82% of respondents are highly or somewhat confident about
business outlook, as compared to 76% last year
66% of respondents plan to invest more over the next 12 months
41% of industry professionals expect to see increased investment in exploration activities over the next year, with only 4.3%
anticipating a decline
North America is now on top of the opportunity list because
of the success of shale gas, the return of drilling in the Gulf of
Mexico, and greater certainty over regulatory activity.
There remains a caveat, however. If global economic conditions
deteriorate, oil and gas companies will have to scale back their
spending where they can do so without creating damage to their
wider portfolios, according to the report.
Other key findings:
Rising operating costs emerge as the top barrier to growth.
More than 50% of respondents say that they expect an increase
in wages over the next 12 months
54% of respondents also expect the cost of contractors to increase.
Risk remains a key challenge. An overwhelming majority of respondents 82% either strongly or somewhat agree that regulatory issues have become more important in the post-Macondo period. Increasing regulation is regarded by more than 30% as the main
challenge for their company over the next 12 months.
Skills shortages are becoming more acute. According to the
Economist Intelligence Units research, this issue comes out of the
survey as one of the major obstacles to growth over the next 12
months. Last year, skills issues came fifth on the list of barriers and
were only identified as a top three issue by 25% of respondents. This
year, the issue has risen to second on the list, and has been identified as a key barrier by 34%.
Keppel, ConocoPhillips to design

ice-worthy jackup for Arctic
Keppel Offshore & Marine Technology Centre (KOMtech), a
design and engineering arm of Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel
O&M), and ConocoPhillips are jointly designing a first-of-its-kind
ice-worthy jackup rig to operate in one of the harshest marine frontiers, the arctic seas.
The jackup will have dual cantilevers to optimize drilling operations within a limited time window.
The rig will be capable of operating in a self-sustained manner for
14 days and will be equipped with a hull that is designed for towing
in ice. It is also designed to resist the impacts from multi-year ice
floes and ridges, as well as withstand a certain level of ice thickness.
The joint design project is expected to be completed by end 2013.
In 2008, Keppel O&Ms wholly-owned subsidiary, Keppel Singmarine, broke into the arctic market by delivering the first pair of
icebreakers built in the tropics of Asia to Lukoil-Kaliningradmorneft.
Drilling activity down 34%

across UK continental shelf
Offshore drilling activity across northwest Europe fell 12% in
2011, with 122 exploration and appraisal wells drilled across the region, compared to 139 in 2010, according to an end of year review
Eldon Ball Houston
Schlumberger has
announced the availability of its new
high-temperature
formation sampling
and pressure system.
Rated to 450F (232
C) the tool provides
accurate pressure
gradients and overall
data quality not
achievable by conventional high-temperature formation tester
tools. The dynamically controlled pressure pretest system enables precise control of volume and drawdown rates, making
pressure testing possible in tight formations common in HP/
HT reservoirs, the company says.
released by Deloitte.
Indications are, however, that activity will increase going forward.
The report, which documents drilling, licensing, field developments, and new field start ups in northwest Europes oil and gas
industry throughout 2011, shows that the UK continental shelf
(UKCS) experienced a 34% decrease in drilling activity year on year
with a total of 49 wells spudded compared to 74 in 2010.
This level of drilling is the lowest since 2003 and represents a 37%
drop on the average number of wells begun each year for the last
decade.
The trend in the UK is very different from the rest of northwest
Europe, however, with the Netherlands, Denmark, and Greenland
experiencing levels either above or equal to the previous year. Norway saw the largest increase with a 12% rise from 2010.
The report, by analysts at Deloittes Petroleum Services Group,
shows:
New field start ups continued to drop across both the UK and
Norway
New field development approvals rose
Deal activity similar to 2010 but down 25% from 2009
Farm-ins remain the most common type of deal, accounting for
53% of all activity
New players and companies are entering the UK, Norway, and
Ireland following the latest licensing rounds.
The low activity on the UKCS is not what we would normally
expect in a year when the average monthly Brent oil price has remained well above $100 per barrel, said Graham Sadler, managing director of Deloittes Petroleum Services Group. However, the
downward trend is the result of a number of factors rather than any
one single issue.
Despite this, the report shows there has been a continued appetite for investment in the UK with a larger number of significant
development projects granted approval during 2011.
This is a sign of companies looking to get the best return on their
investment by monetizing their assets during a period of sustained
high oil price. The same trend can be observed in Norway with an
increase in the number of development plans granted approval during 2011, added Sadler.
Moving into 2012, he said, it is unclear whether levels of exploration and appraisal drilling will return to pre-2011 levels as the current
factors driving decision making may continue to have an influence,
along with the limited number of outstanding well commitments still
to be met from the UKs 25th and 26th licensing rounds, which may
see levels continue to remain low in the next few years.
We would however expect to see additional investment coming
on-stream in the months ahead and a number of field developments
pushed forward, he said.
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Defining benchmarks
We have through our history launched step
changing innovations, among these are the
Ramform Series - benchmarks of marine seismic
operations.
We take great pride in our achievements, knowing

that the strong will and ability that made us the
company we are today will keep us continuously
focused and competitive in the future.
Our competent and interdisciplinary teams are

constantly pushing the limits through technology
development, gaining operational experience and
indisputable results from challenging environments
worldwide.
And most importantly; we always work tirelessly to

be your first choice. PGS - Unrivaled Performance
A Clearer Image
www.pgs.com
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GEOSCIENCES
Gene Kliewer Houston
Frontier areas in the far

north getting a lot of play
TGS has updated various seismic gathering programs off northern Europe.
The company continues its joint program with PGS in the Viking
graben of the North Sea. By the end of the 2011 season, 6,857 sq km
(2,647 sq mi) of data had been acquired for this multi-year project.
The data set is close to the recent Sverdrup discovery.
The M/V Polar Duke acquired 1,055 sq km (407 sq mi) of new 3D data
along the Nordkapp Platform margin fault in the Norwegian Barents
Sea. TGS plans to return this year to finalize the program which is close
to several blocks nominated for Norways 22nd licensing round.
TGS has completed two long-offset 2D surveys in partnership
with Fugro. Last year the M/V Akademik Shatskiy added 9,737 km
(6,050 mi) of new long offset 2D data in the Norwegian Sea, and the
M/V Akademik Lasarev compiled 8,700 km (5,406 mi) of long-offset
2D data in the Barents Sea.
During 4Q 2011, TGS concluded a 1,800-km (1,118-mi) 2D program off northeast Greenland with the Akademik Shatskiy, supported
by the ice breaker M/V Fennica. This is another joint TGS/Fugro
project with TGS processing the data.
Akademik Fersman has also acquired 5,050 km (3,138 mi) of multiclient 2D in the Russian arctic over the Laptev and East Siberian Sea,
in partnership with Russian contractor DMNG.
Acquisition should resume this summer when weather permits.
Public hearings have been staged in Archangelsk to discuss planned
seismic research programs in the Kara Sea off northern Russia.
The activity will take place in the East Prinovozemelsky-1 and
East Prinovozemelsky-2 blocks, which Rosneft is developing jointly
with ExxonMobil. Rosneft was awarded licenses in 2010 to perform
geological studies and produce oil and gas at these blocks and also
East Prinovozemelsk-3.
The company estimates combined recoverable resources in the
area at 6.3 billion metric tons (6.9 billion tons) of crude and condensate and 14.6 tcm (516 tcf) of gas.
The hearings brought together residents of Archangelsk and public
organizations with seismic research specialists and independent ecologists. Results will be submitted for state environmental examination.
Rosneft plans to conduct the seismic acquisition from July to October this year using Russian contractors. The 3D seismic will be
acquired over East Prinovozemelsky-1 block and 2D seismic over
East Prinovozemelsky-2 block, with Rosneft specialists and teams of
ecologists monitoring the impact on marine mammals.
Rosneft President Eduard Khudainatov said: Rosneft and ExxonMobil have 15 years experience of joint work on the Sakhalin shelf,
where the harsh natural conditions and climate are comparable with
those of the arctic seas. The application of advanced innovative technologies in exploration work based on best international practices
and compliance with the most demanding environmental requirements and standards is the way to eliminate any risks for the environment and preserve the unique arctic flora and fauna.
Electromagnetic Geoservices has secured pre-funding for a multiclient 3D EM campaign in the Barents Sea, ahead of Norways 22nd
exploration licensing round awards. Data acquisition will start next
month using the vessel Atlantic Guardian.
Preliminary data will be available from April and 3D inverted data
from May.
Shell Kanumas has contracted Polarcus Ltd. to conduct an 8,500 sq
km (3,282 sq mi) 3D seismic acquisition project offshore Greenland.
Two ICE-1A/1A* class vessels, Polarcus Amanti and Samur, will
start the work in 3Q 2012.
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) has contracted
PGS and Dolphin Geophysical to acquire seismic data in Norways
northern offshore outposts.
Extending seismic surveying into arctic regions adds some new elements
to the challenges of completing a project. Photo courtesy PGS.
The contracts have a total value of $29 million, with activity starting at the beginning of May earliest and continuing until end-August.
PGS M/V Nordic Explorer and Dolphins M/V Artemis Atlantic
will perform the surveys around the Jan Mayen region between
Norway and Iceland and in the southeastern Barents Sea. Further
seismic data will be acquired in the Nordland IV and V areas.
This program has been commissioned on assignment from Norways Ministry of Petroleum and Energy. Results will form part of
the review when the countrys parliament (Storting) decides whether to open these areas to petroleum activities.
Seven companies have purchased the Norwegian Petroleum
Directorates seismic data package from the unexplored northern
Norwegian offshore areas around Lofoten and Vesterlen. The buyers are Statoil, ExxonMobil, Norske Shell, RWE Dea Norge, GDF
Suez, Dong Energy, and Det norske oljeselskap. According to NPD,
others have indicated interest.
NPD acquired seismic data off Lofoten, Vesterlen, and Senja on
assignment from the Norwegian government between 2007 and
2009, for a total cost of $70 million.
Elsewhere offshore Norway, the NPD and the University of Bergen have acquired samples from steep parts of the seabed on the
Jan Mayen ridge between Norway and Iceland. Data was acquired
on both the Icelandic and Norwegian sides of the ridge, under an
agreement with Icelandic authorities (Orkustofnun). NPD is investigating the potential for petroleum in the region. Good-quality sandstone was also discovered, as were rocks of the same age as source
rocks on Greenland. Water depths in the survey area range from
600-2,000 m (1,968-6,561 ft). The areas were selected in part based
on seismic data available for this part of the Norwegian Sea. More
seismic will be acquired on the Jan Mayen ridge this coming summer. Last year, Norways government started a process to open seas
in this area for potential petroleum activity.
Not all the seismic work is in cold water, however. Work nearer
the Equator includes the following:
Petroleum Geo-Services ASAs Ramform Valiant is under way to
acquire 26,000 sq km (10,039 sq mi) of 3D data in five Kwanza/Benguela basin blocks offshore Angola.
In February, the PGS Apollo will join the Valiant and acquisition
will continue with both vessels until 4Q 2012. PGS will start processing data in March. Together, the two vessels will operate 20 vessel
months on this project.
BP, Total, and Statoil have been made operators of blocks 24, 25,
38, 39, and 40. Sonangol is a partner in all of the blocks.
Now that a final agreement has been reached with Sonangol E.P., TGSNOPEC Geophysical Co. will begin acquisition of a 3D multi-client seismic survey offshore Angola covering about 12,500 sq km (4,826 sq mi).
The survey will start on blocks 36 and 37 in late January.
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WELLHEAD
TO MARKET,
ANYWHERE IN
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O F F S H O R E A U T O M AT I O N S O L U T I O N S
Fieldbus Foundation extends into remote operations management

Kevin Crisafulli
ARC Advisory Group

ARC Advisory Group research indicates
that remote operations management (ROM)
is one of the fastest growing segments in
the process automation business. Even so,
hurdles must still be overcome for users in
challenging upstream oil and gas environments to implement a successful remote
operations management strategy and realize
all the benefits.
Remote applications
Due to their unique nature, many of the remote operations management solutions now
in place are highly customized and not easily
configurable. In addition, many organizations
maintain an if it isnt broke, dont fix it approach to asset management. In 2007, Foundation Fieldbus began to lay out a project that
would extend the functionality and infrastructure of Foundation Fieldbus to remote applications through remote I/O and wired HART.
This was then expanded to include a wireless
backhaul network capability and integration of
leading industrial wireless networks such as
ISA 100.11a and WirelessHART. The Foundation hopes to finalize the specification within
the 2012 calendar year to extend its capabilities to countless wired and wireless devices
installed in some of the worlds harshest and
most remote locations. Foundation for ROM
aims to allow users to implement predictive
and preventive maintenance strategies for
their remote assets that previously were unable to support them. Whether operating on
a wired or wireless network, users will be able
to pull device data into the Foundation Fieldbus infrastructure, which can provide a single
source of data management, diagnostics,
alarms and alerts, data quality control, controlin-the- field capability, and object-oriented
block structure. In this manner, Foundation
for ROM helps address various challenges in
upstream oil and gas applications.
Evolving needs
in harsh environments
End users are beginning to recognize the
potential benefits of extending their process
automation systems into remote locations.
Traditional remote terminal unit (RTU)-based
SCADA systems typically used in todays remote operations management applications often require massive amounts of customization,
are not easily configurable, and data from intelligent devices may not be easily accessible
when needed due to the lack of direct, bidirectional digital access for diagnostics.
Operating companies are growing more
concerned with the prospect of deploying
their already depleted and often undertrained
staffs to remote locations. These remote locations can be expensive to get to and dangerous to work in. The idea of reducing the number of personnel deployed in these regions
becomes attractive, since it can reduce operational costs while increasing safety.
An abundance of challenges
The workforce is shrinking, taking knowledge with it at an astonishing rate. This creates a trickle down effect to even more
challenges. Most users find their operations
and maintenance staffs reduced through either layoffs or retirements, making knowledge retention a major concern.
Ever-changing technology forces users to
determine when and how to invest to obtain
maximum value.
Perhaps the most difficult obstacle to overcome is cost. Projects are not only bigger than
ever, but they are also being developed for remote locations that are difficult and expensive
to access. Pipeline projects, deep sea offshore
platforms, and gas processing plants dot the
globe. These massive projects are inherently
more complex and difficult to manage, increasing capital costs. According to industry
sources, engineering costs for related industries are on the rise as well. End users look for
shorter commission and handover time and
faster optimum production time, all while reducing engineering costs.
Foundation for remote operations management adds to and extends the Foundation
Fieldbus specification to support both wired
and wireless infrastructure for remote assets
and applications. Foundation for ROM provides a direct link to device data and diagnostics through an open path for integration with
multiple wired and wireless networks. These
include traditional remote I/O, ISA 100.11a,
and WirelessHART. Foundation for ROM not
only allows access to those data and diagnostics, it also allows it to be placed into the Foundation Fieldbus environment for data management and data quality. Reliability, safety, and
security are key drivers for monitoring remote
locations and devices. Effective remote operations capabilities enable operating companies
to minimize field travel and operational costs
while dramatically improving the safety and
efficiency of operations.
Foundation for ROM devices

The Foundation for ROM specification can
be embedded in an array of products, including remote terminal units, controllers, and
remote I/O modules. Once the specification
is embedded in a device, its functionality expands to reflect the combination of traditional
functionality found in wireless gateways, process controllers, and RTUs. These devices
provide the protocol translation functional-
ity of a gateway, but go beyond this with the

ability to represent the device as a transducer
block in the Foundation Fieldbus infrastructure, providing data management, alarms and
events, data quality, function block structure,
and other functionality.
Once the specification is complete in
2012, Foundation for ROM devices will have
to pass through the Fieldbus Foundations
rigorous testing and registration program to
ensure interoperability.
Real-time management
Any technology is only as good as the value it
provides. The key value of Foundation for ROM
is the ability to serve as an enabler for real-time
remote operations management. With Foundation for ROM, users can diagnose, either locally
or remotely, the condition of their automation
assets. While users deal with shrinking operations and maintenance personnel and assets
being deployed in remote locations, remote
operations management is quickly becoming a
critical application.
Unlike most other solutions for remote operations management, Foundation for ROM is
highly configurable, reducing the need for customization, which can reduce overall implementation costs significantly. At the field device level,
utilizing analog technology results in unnecessary work processes due to the lack of direct,
bidirectional digital access to devices for commissioning and diagnostics. Even when digital
devices are used, proprietary technology at the
application and network levels often means that
much of the data collected from intelligent devices may be difficult, if not impossible, to retrieve.
Instrumentation engineering alone can account
for 20% of a users automation project costs.
The diagnostics and function block capabilities available in the Foundation Fieldbus
environment have helped many users avoid
unscheduled downtime. Utilizing the predictive diagnostics functionality included in
Foundation for ROM technology, users can
develop proactive predictive maintenance
strategies to help avoid unnecessary maintenance trips to the field.
Foundation for ROM can integrate with
many functional areas typically encountered
in remote operations, including asset health
monitoring, safety interlocks, fire and gas
detection, and video surveillance. The move
to incorporate a variety of wired and wireless
devices and network with the overall Foundation for ROM will enable users to integrate all
their process automation assets both inside
and outside the plant seamlessly into a single
framework for control, diagnostics, and data
management. ARC believes that this has the
potential to reduce both implementation and
operational costs significantly, while further
enhancing safety.
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GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS: TANZANIA
Mozambique, Tanzania emerging

as prolific deepwater gas plays
Jeremy Beckman
Editor, Europe
ozambique is shaping up as a rival to Australia as a major

new source of LNG. This follows Anadarkos continued run
of gas discoveries in Rovuma basin deep offshore Area 1,
and Enis potentially larger strike in adjacent Area 4.
Like Anadarko, Eni hit the target with its first well
on its concession, Mamba South 1 off northern Mozambique. The
well proved large volumes of gas in the Oligocene and in the Eocene interval below. The company has since discovered more gas at
Mamba North in deeper water (1,690 m, or 5,544 ft), 23 km (14 mi)
to the north, and 45 km (28 mi) offshore.
This latest find has lifted the resource estimate at the Mamba
structure to 30 tcf. Eni plans to drill at least five other wells in nearby
structures this year to assess the upside potential. The company has
also started to market the gas both locally and internationally. Its
partners in Area 4 are Portugals Galp Energi, South Koreas KOGAS, and Mozambique state-owned company ENH, which is carried
for a 10% interest during the exploration phase.
Anadarko resumed its campaign in Area 1 last fall, with a successful appraisal of the Barquentine discovery and a further large find in
the Camarao prospect in 4,730 ft (1,442 m) of water, respectively 5
mi (8 mi) south and 10 mi (16 km) north of the Windjammer and Lagosta discoveries. Camarao-1 confirmed static pressure connectivity
with both these structures, and additionally delivered 140 ft net (43
m) of gas pay from shallower Miocene and Oligocene sand intervals
not encountered in the previous wells.
Shortly afterwards, the deepwater drillship Belford Dolphin drilled
more productive appraisal wells, Barquentine-3 and Lagosta-2. The
latter, 4.4 mi (7 km) north of Lagosta-1, generated 777 net ft (237 m)
of gas pay from multiple zones, the largest pay count of any well in
the complex to date. The result also confirmed Anadarkos recently
revised estimate of 15-30 tcf recoverable from its block.
Belford Dolphins next assignment was a third appraisal well on Lagosta. Anadarko has since brought in a second drillship, Deepwater
Milennium, to undertake an accelerated test program that will include installing observation gauges and performing drillstem tests,
in the run-up to the final investment decision for a development in
2013.
Last year, the company and its partners Mitsui, BPRL Ventures,
Videocon, Cove Energy, and ENH contracted KBR and Technip for
pre-FEED studies for an LNG plant on the Mozambique coast, comprising at least two trains with flexibility to add four more. Anadarko
President and COO Al Walker said recently that we also plan to
leverage our experience with Independence Hub [in the Gulf of
Mexico] by constructing an offshore hub facility that will be tied
back to the LNG plant onshore.
At the recent GE Oil & Gas annual meeting in Florence, Don Vardeman, VP Worldwide Projects for Anadarko, said the partners had
so far drilled eight deepwater wells on Area 1, acquired 7,500 sq km
(2,896 sq mi) of 3D data and invested $750 million in the program.
This has led to six major discoveries with over 425 bcm of recoverable gas, with other prospective areas still to drill, he said. The
volume of resources has yet to be fully determined, he added, and it
will take operators in this area quite a while to firm it up.
Anadarko has been working with Mozambiques government on
Anadarko so far has six major deepwater discoveries in Rovuma basin

offshore Area 1.
an Environmental Impact Assessment to determine the best way

to develop this resource, he added, acknowledging that there were
many species of animals in the vicinity of the proposed gas pipeline
landfall and LNG complex, including wandering elephants. But he
was confident development would go forward, and that this would
be one of the top five projects coming onstream around the world
this decade, alongside the Gorgon and Browse basin LNG projects
off Northwest Australia.
Mozambiques government was anxious for work on the project to
start, he said, both for the incoming tax revenue in the longer term
and for the near-term impact on jobs creation in the area. At peak, he
forecast that construction of the initial LNG plant would involve 7,000
workers, with more employment opportunities for the second train.
Phase 1 of the development will be based 35 mi (56 km) offshore,
with gas export lines laid directly to the onshore site. Here, the focus
is on design of two 5 MMt/yr LNG trains with space on the layout
for a third. Currently the partners are evaluating two established
LNG processes, and talks have been held with GE concerning relevant equipment, potentially aero-derivative turbines. As exploration
drilling progresses, Vardeman said, the partners hope to identify ad-
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GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS: TANZANIA
ditional gas that could in time feed up to six

trains. He expected full FEED to start mid2012 onwards.
Following meetings with local villagers,
fishermen and farmers, Anadarko has filed
an application for land to build the onshore
reception and process facilities. The port of
Ofungi is the chosen site for the LNG plant.
The nearby city of Palma only just received
electric power for the first time last year, so
there is potential for this project to change
the area significantly, Vardeman observed.
Also, an aircraft landing strip will be built
of sufficient size to land a 747 at least. At
the coastal location, materials offloading
and LNG loading facilities will be constructed. The proposed beach front site is large
enough to accommodate LNG carriers turning, he said, although when the tide goes out
a large area of flat sand appears.
Assuming the final investment decision is
taken toward the end of 2013, first gas could
flow in 2018. But this is a very competitive
market, Vardeman noted, and we must
convince buyers that this will be a reliable
source of LNG. Also, this will be our first
LNG plant, so they need to count on us to
be there a long time. On the other hand,
Vardeman explained, having Bharat Petroleum, Videocon, and Mitsui as partners was
helpful for marketing the Area 1 gas to India
and Japan. Its an optimal location, close to
India, and the distance to Japan is the same
as to Europe, Vardeman said.
Tanzania search resumes

The gas play extends north to Tanzanian
waters, and here there have been three
deepwater discoveries to date, Pweza-1,
Chewa-1 and Chaza-1, with combined recov-
Ophirs concessions offshore Tanzania, minus

the recent acquisition of block 7.
erable reserves in the range 3-4 tcf. All were

drilled by BG International and Ophir Energy during 2010-11. The same partnership
has contracted the deepwater drillship MetroStar I for a second exploration campaign
at the end of last year. Jodari-1, the first of
the initial trio of planned wells, should be
completed this month.
Jodari-1 is in Tanzanian block 1, which
Ophir was awarded in late 2005. The following year it also picked up adjoining blocks 3
and 4 the three concessions cover a total
area of 20,853 sq km (8,051 sq mi) over the

Mafia Deep offshore basin and the northern
portion (45%) of the Rovuma basin, in water
depths ranging from 100 m to over 3,000 m
(328-9,842 ft).
Ophir commissioned infill 2D and 3D seismic surveys over all the blocks during 2006-08
which it used to build an inventory of drillworthy prospects. In June 2010 BG farmed
into 60% of each of the PSCs and in mid-2011
assumed operatorship from Ophir after completion of the three discovery wells. Ophir,
meanwhile, has extended its holdings, taking
a 70% operating interest last year from RAKgas
Tanzania in the 7,500-sq km (2,896-sq mi) East
Pande block which overlaps the Mafia Deep
offshore basin and the Mandawa sub-basin.
More recently, the company acquired
London-based Dominion Petroleum, gaining
operatorship of Tanzanian block 7 and Kenyan offshore blocks L9 and L15 in the Lomu
basin. Our seven blocks make us in acreage terms the leading independent operator
offshore East Africa, said Ophir CEO Nick
Cooper.
BG/Ophirs three gas discovery wells
were drilled on blocks 4 and 1. During the
second half of last year, the partnership acquired a further 5,000 sq km (1,930 sq mi) of
3D seismic data over the blocks which BG is
currently interpreting at its headquarters in
Reading, UK.
After MetroStar I has completed work on
Jodari-1 and Mzia-1 in block 1 and Papa-1 in
block 3, the drillship will be sub-let to another operator for a few weeks, at which point
the partners will look to integrate results
from these wells with the 3D seismic data
to determine their next drilling priorities.
Later in the year the drillship should return
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to spud two further wells. The drilling program is then expected to continue into 2013,
as the rig is under a long-term contract.
During a Capital Markets presentation in
London last October, Ophir outlined a pool of
gas prospects in blocks 1, 3, and 4 with combined potential of 30 tcf. However, its important to look at the bigger picture, Cooper
explained, and to think of the overall Tanzanian offshore play as potentially having three
parts. First there is the shallow Tertiary,
Oligocene-Miocene rocks where the three
discoveries have been made to date. Drilling
in that play is relatively predictable with an
approximate 60% chance of success, and our
finds at that level alone could prove sufficient
for two LNG trains, Cooper noted. But this
is a very fast-evolving play, and we and other
operators need to push it to the limit.
The second part involves the companys
first three wells, drilled in 2011, which target
prospects totalling around 8 tcf in the riskier, deeper Upper Cretaceous system. If we
reach a threshold of 8-9 tcf, that could satisfy
two to three LNG trains, Cooper explained.
The third part of the play depends on
whether Anadarkos and ENIs Tertiary stratigraphic fan discoveries off Mozambique extend north into Tanzania, he added. In block
1, we have a substantial portion of the Rovuma
offshore basin, and we also have faulted structures which have drawn our initial exploration
efforts closer to the coast. After Enis Mamba
South discovery, there is now the potential for
the stratigraphic fans to extend northwards.
Ophir and BG will therefore be shooting 3D
seismic in the outboard area of block 1, as we
see potential for the stratigraphic structures
in Mozambiques part of the Rovuma basin to
enfold the entire delta.
Cooper also believes that the whole basin
north to Kenya has a potential oil rim. It is likely that dry gas will predominate in the middle
of the basin, but there could be oil around the
basin rim. Anadarkos Ironclad discovery had
an oil leg, and the Mnazi Bay gas field onshore
Tanzania produces some condensates.
Recently, the Fugro Geo Caribbean acquired
2,200 sq km (849 sq mi) of 3D data for Ophir
over the East Pande license. Future plans include a new campaign of 3D acquisition on
block 1 (2,500 sq km, or 965 sq mi), and further 2D seismic over block 7 to compliment
the existing 3D data.
Despite the ambitious program to the south
off Mozambique, Cooper feels there is sufficient demand for a second new LNG complex
onshore Tanzania. Tanzania right now is 18
months behind Mozambique as regards drilling progress, but our commercial framework
for LNG is well advanced and we are now looking to see whether Tanzania will experience
further significant discoveries.
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Seismic vessel count remains steady

Newer vessels look for work in frontier areas,
particular y arctic and deepwater
he 2012 Seismic Vessel Survey found

eight more vessels than in the previous year, but much of that is due to
more and better reporting from the
vessel operators. Subtracting the six
existing but newly reported vessels gives an
actual net increase of three year-over-year.
One trend that bears watching is that
of vessels targeting the more difficult and
hazardous regions of the globe, including
the Arctic, and deeper water. Another is the
increasing use of life-of-field seismic and
ocean bottom node installations for added
geophysical insight into reservoir management.
CGGVeritas says that deepwater played
into its international operations last year,
particularly in East and West Africa.
From 2006 to the start of this year, PGS
Marine Geophysical saw demand for seismic
growing by approximately 70% on a square kilometer basis. Of that, 3D is growing quicker
than the overall market. This is because exploration is becoming more difficult, with
deeper water, deeper targets, more complex
Gene Kliewer
Technology Editor,
Subsea & Seismic
geology, and harsher environments, and

these all require greater data quality.
Polarcus looks at the market and expects
to see exploration and production spending
growing in the 15-20% range this year. As a
result, it sees a fleet growth rise of about
3% net for 2012. The areas of strongest demand look to Polarcus to be northwestern
Europe, the Arctic including Greenland, and
deepwaters of the United States, Brazil, and
West Africa.
DMNG is concentrating on building relationships with the oil companies working in
the Eastern Hemisphere. Toward this end,
ISO and Achilles accreditation have been
achieved and with a full time HSE. Management team standards and practices are constantly reviewed and improved.
SMNG is exploring the Caspian with its
3D Akademik Nemchinov. At the conclusion of

its Caspian contracts, the vessel to be transferred to the port of Baku for scheduled class
repairs. Prior to starting an ongoing 3D survey for the Geo Energy Group on the Caspian
Rakushechnoye structure, the vessel was upgraded in Poland with a new engine.
Getting into the Caspian was a project in
itself. The only route went via the Don-Volga
canal system with a maximum depth less
than the draft of Akademik Nemchinov. Major
temporary alterations were done to prepare
for the journey. The draft of the vessel was
decreased from 5.6 to 3.5 m (18.4 to 11.4 ft).
The masts and the seismic equipment were
removed and the vessel put onto nine pontoons.
A couple of business moves were recorded
in 2011. The decision to establish GeoRXT
resulted from the strategic review by RXT
management to realize value from its Brazilian operations. As part of the joint venture
agreement, Georadar has invested $20 million in GeoRXT, and RXT has received a cash
consideration of $10 million. GeoRXT is to
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Image courtesy Fugro-Geoteam AS
focus initially on the anticipated demand for

OBC seismic survey work in South America,
Angola, and some Middle East locations. The
RXT group will concentrate its activities in
the North Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and West Africa where it has a track record for high resolution multi-component data.
High-quality data plays a key role in the
optimal appraisal and development of discoveries and lowers the risk when drilling
new wells. Similarly, high quality seismic is a
key tool in the oil companys effort to arrest
declining production from mature fields.
High-definition 3D ocean bottom seismic
(HDOBC) is becoming a strong competitor
to towed streamer acquisition where high
definition surveys for appraisal and production drilling are needed. RXTs HDOBC delivers data in these obstructed and challenging environments.
Late in 2011, SeaBird reached an agreement to sell its shares of Fugro OBN Technologies AS and Seabed Navigation Co. Ltd.
to Fugro. This results in Fugro now holding
100% of both Fugro OBN and Seabed Nav.
BGPs recent R&D is focused on high-density seismic surveys, wide-azimuth acquisition, complex structure imaging, 3C/3D VSP,
3C/3D seismic, and stratigraphic reservoir
studies. The company also has started to develop its own seismic recording systems.
BGP says it has the largest geophysical
and geological R&D center in China. The research covers all of geophysics and geology,
and is noted for high-order split migration
and polynomial fitting.
On the offshore side, CGGVeritas offers
pure-play geophysical services plus equipment through its Sercel products. Sercel
has both land and marine geophysical equipment including integrated electronic recording systems, cables, land, ocean-bottom and
borehole sensors, streamers, offshore seismic sources, and vibrators. Its geophysical
services cover acquisition, data processing
and imaging as well as reservoir management. Through Hampson-Russell Software
& Services, CGGVeritas offers geophysical
interpretation software and reservoir characterization.
CGGVeritas recently upgraded its seismic

fleet of 19 vessels, retiring some older vessels
and investing in two state-of-the-art 20-streamer Ulstein SX120 X-Bows. This modernization
includes the Oceanic Sirius delivered in October 2011. Vessel upgrade plans on schedule
called for returning the Oceanic Phoenix and
Endeavour to operations. The Champion went
to the shipyard for a major upgrade.
China Oilfield Services recorded the delivery of a deepwater survey vessel in the
latter half of 2011 and is adding a submarine
cable team, which will be new business.
Global Geophysical has data acquisition,
processing/analysis/interpretation, data library, proprietary recording technology, and
microseismic services. It is featuring its Seismic Guided Earth Model to bring together
geophysics and engineering in its Basin InSight program.
WesternGeco reported a survey fleet of
22 vessels in 2011, but chose not to be included this year. The counts in this report
still include those 22 vessels, since they remain in the worldwide fleet.
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AF, MID E, FAR E
Maximum towable
footprint (# cables x
length (m) x width (m))
Primary region
Yes
Source array
configuration as
rigged (# arrays x
capacity in cu in.)
Vessel availability
(Yes, No, or
Exclusive contract)
Streamer
configuration
(# streamers x
# channels)
Total beam (m)
Total length (m)
Vessel
name
Year rigged or
converted
Worldwide Seismic Vessel Survey
BGP, 5th Floor, Building E5C West, 3rd Street; TEDA, Tainjin 300457, P.R.China
BGP Challenger
BGP Explorer
BGP Pioneer
BGP Prospector
Dong Fang Kan Tan
No. 2 (BGP Researcher)
2009
2010
2006
2011
2007
55
64
83.7
100
65.8
13.8
16
19.5
24
13.8
1 x 1,200
6 x 640
2 x 960
1 x 1,200
1 x 9,000
1 x 5,200 2 x 3,480
2 x 3,400
2 x 5,620
1 x 3,000
Yes
AF, MID E, FAR E
6 x 8,000
Yes
AF, MID E, FAR E
Yes
Yes
Yes
Caspian
Caspian
Caspian
20 x 720
20 x 720
16 x 560
8 x 640
3 x 320
12 x 560
4 x 480
12 x 560
8 x 800
12 x 648
10 x 480
14 x 720
2 x 480
14 x 480
10 x 720
16 x 720
12 x 560
14 x 640
4 x 480
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
2 x 3840
2 x 3200
2 x 4,840
2 x 4,960
2 x 3,080
2 x 4,740
2 x 3,840
2 x 5,260
2 x 5,260
2 x 5,260
2 x 5,260
2 x 5,260
1x 4,100
2 x 3,500
2 x 3,500
2 x 4,500
2 x 5,260
2 x 3,500
2 x 4,480
3 x 360
4 x 360
2 x 480
2 x 240
6 x 480
8 x 480
4 x 480
2 x 360
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
China, Asia, CIS

China, Asia, CIS
China, Asia, CIS
China, Asia, CIS
China, Asia, CIS
Yes
China, Asia, CIS
2 x 2,490
2 x 3,000
4,075
2,040
2 x 3100
2 x 4,110
2 x 3,185
3,660
SEAL 1 x 960
4 x 1,440
SEAL 1 x 960
Contact
Contact
Contact
SE Asia / Worldwide
SE Asia / Worldwide
SE Asia / Worldwide
4 x 5,000
6 x 2,920
4 strings 2,940 higher on request
1 x 1,100
4 x 6,000 x 150
1 x 11,100
Shooting Vessel
Shooting Vessel
Shooting Vessel
Shooting Vessel
Node Handling Vessel
Node Handling Vessel
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
GoM
North Sea
Mexico
GoM
GoM
North Sea
5,330 dual
5,330 dual
5,330 dual
5,330 dual
Node Vessel
Node Vessel
1200 - Nodes
1800 - Nodes
Caspian Services Group Limited, Aktau Star Business Centre, MD14, Aktau, Kazakhstan
Caspian Galiya
Caspian Kyra
Coastal Bigfoot
2007
1970
2007
12.5
36
12.5
4.5
7
4.5
OBC Cable
OBC Cable
CGGVeritas, 27 avenue Carnot, 91341 Massy Cedex, France

Oceanic Vega
Oceanic Sirius
Alize
Amadeus
Princess
Symphony
Venturer
Viking
Viking II
Viking Vanquish
Veritas Vantage
Viking Vision
Bergen Surveyor
Geowave Champion
Geowave Voyager
Oceanic Endeavour
Challenger
Oceanic Phoenix
Pacific Finder
2010
2011
1999
1999
2001
2000
2007
1998
1999
2007
2002
2007
1997/ 2006
2007
2008
2008
2006
2011
2011
106
106
101
84
76
121
90
93
93
93
93
105
67
106
93
107
90
114
68
28
28
29
19
14
23
15
22
22
22
22
26
15
22
22
27
19
25
17
20 x 8000 x 100
20 x 8000 x 100
16 x 6000
8 x 10,000 x 100
3 x 6000 x 100
12 x 6000 x 100
4 x 6000 x 100
14 x 8000 x 100
8 x 6000 x 100
12 x 8100 x 100
10 x 6000 x 100
14 x 9000 x 100
2 x 6000 x 75
14 x 6000 x 100
10 x 9000 x 100
16 x 9000 x 100
12 x 7000 x 100
14 x 8000 x 100
4 x 6000 x 100
China Oilfield Services, Ltd., No.6 Dongzhimenwai Xiaojie Beijing 100027 P.R.C
Bin Hai 511
Bin Hai 512
Bin Hai 517
Bin Hai 518
HYSY 718
HYSY719
Dong Fang Ming Zhu
Nan Hai 502
1979
1979
1997
1995
2005
2008
1994
1980
81
79
60
50
78
80
79
66
13.4
13.4
15
12.5
18
18
16.5
11
Dalmorneftegeophysica (DMNG), 426, Mira Ave., Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, 693004, Russia

Akademik Fersman
Orient Explorer
Zephyr-I
2007
2011
2007
81.5
81.8
81.8
14.8
14.8
14.8
Fairfield Industries,1111 Gillingham, Sugar Land, Texas 77478, USA

Fairfield Endeavor
Fairfield New Venture
Fairfield Challenger
Fairfield Pursuit
Carolyn Chouest
C-Pacer
2001
2004
2005
2011
2010
2011
65
76
67
59
73
80
13.5
18
14
14
16
18
Fugro Brasil Servios Submarinos e Levantamentos Ltda, Rua do Gelogo, 76 Zona Especial de Negcios / ZEN , Rio das Ostras - RJ - Brasil - CEP.:28.890-000
Fugro Odyssey
2003 (rebuilt)
39.9
7.6
Single streamer - Sercel Sentinel

up to 1,5Km ( 120 channels)
Yes
Brasil
4x40 cu inch sleeve gun

cluster or single 210 cu inch GIGun
1 x 48, 1 x 96
1 x 48, 1 x 96
1 x 48, 1 x 96
Yes
Yes
Yes
GoM
GoM
GoM
90-300 GI Guns
90-300 GI Guns
90-300 GI Guns
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
4,300 dual source

4,300 dual source
5,100 dual source
5100 dual source
5,100 dual source
N/A
Fugro GeoServices, 200 Dulles Blvd., Lafayette, Louisiana USA

Fugro Enterprise
Geodetic Surveyor
Universal Surveyor
2007
1985
1980
52
37
37
12
9
9
Fugro-Geoteam AS, Hoffsveien 1 C, P.O. Box 490 Skyen, N-0213, Oslo, Norway
Geo Atlantic
Geo Barents
Geo Caribbean
Geo Caspian
Geo Celtic
2000/2006
2007
2008
2010
2007
119
77
101
108
101
26
21
28
28
28
10 x 8,100
8 x 6,000
14 x 6,800
16 x 8,100
12 x 8,000
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Technical capability
Satellite transmission
to shore (company used
and transmission
speed (baud ))
3592
3592
3592
3592
3592
Inmarsat VSAT
Inmarsat C
VSAT
Inmarsat C,F VSAT
VSAT
3590E
Mini M
3592
3592
3590 E
3590
3590
3590
3590
3590
3590
VSAT 128k
VSAT 128k
VSAT 128k
VSAT 128k
VSAT 128k
VSAT 256k
VSAT 128k
VSAT 128k
VSAT 128k
VSAT 128k
VSAT 128k
VSAT 128k
VSAT 256k
VSAT 128k
VSAT 128k
VSAT 512k
VSAT 256k
VSAT 512k
VSAT 128k
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
>10 m
>10 m
>8 m
>6 m
>10 m
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Yes
No
Full data
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
QC data
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Nav data
Variable depth
x
x
x
Ocean bottom
cable
x
x
x
High density
x
x
x
x
Deepwater
3D
Shallow
transition zone
2D
4C/4D
Acquisition
capability
Seismic
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
3590
3590
3590
x
x
x
x
Yes
Yes
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
No
3590
3590
3590
3590, 3592
3590, 3592
3590, 3592
3590, 3592
3590, 3592
3590, 3592
3590
3590
3590
3590
3590
3590
3590
3590
x
x
x
x AUV
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Final primary
recording media
(type or cartridge #)
Onboard processing
Inmarsat
KU
VSAT
VSAT
VSAT
KU
KU
3590
3590
Yes
x
x
x
x
x
Hard Drive
Hard Drive
Hard Drive
Hard Drive
V-Sat
V-Sat
V-Sat
3592/RAID
3592/ RAID
3592 RAID
3592 RAID
3592/RAID
VSAT SCPC
VSAT SCPC
VSAT SCPC
VSAT SCPC
VSAT SCPC
M
q
M
q
M
q
MqM
q
M
q
M
q
M
q
MqM
q
Primary region
28
20
16 x 7,200
8 x 6,000
Yes
Yes
Worldwide
Worldwide
5,100 dual source

3,460 dual source
Yes
Australia / Asia Pacific
Project specific: 10-150 cu. In.
(Mobile)
Yes
Atlantic
(Mobile)
1 x 144
1 x 240
1 x 120
1 x 120
1 x 240
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
NWECS
NWECS
EAME
NWECS
NWECS
140
140/1,000
140
140
140/1,000
Maximum towable
Vessel availability
(Yes, No, or
Exclusive contract)
108
82
Source array
configuration as
rigged (# arrays x
capacity in cu in.)
Streamer
configuration
(# streamers x
# channels)
2010
1998/2003/2006
Total beam (m)
Geo Coral
Geo Pacific
Total length (m)
Vessel
name
Year rigged or
converted
OPCOFugro Survey Pty Ltd, 24, Geddes Street, Balcatta, Perth, Western Australia.
Southern Supporter
1993
74.5m
12.5m
Project specific: Single cable,24-96 channels
Fugro OSAE GmbH, Fahrenheitstrasse 7, 28359 Bremen, Germany

Fugro Gauss
1980/2007
69
13
(Mobile)
Fugro Survey Ltd., Denmore Rd, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen AB23 8JW, UK
Fugro Galaxy
Fugro Meridian
Geo Prospector
Fugro Discovery
Fugro Searcher
2011
1982/1997
1970/1997
1997/2007
2010
65.2
72.5
72.6
70
65.2
14
13.8
11.8
12.6
14
Fugro Survey Africa (Pty) Ltd, Unit 24 Woodbridge Business Park, 7441 Milnerton, Cape Town, South Africa
Geo Endeavour
1985/1998
45.7
10
1 x 48
Yes
Subsaharan Africa
1 x 90, 1 x 150
11
1 x 120
Mid-2012
Med
1 array, 140 cu in
Fugro SAE, 17 Port Said St., Maadi, Cairo, Egypt

Fugro Navigator
1988/2009
54
Fugro Survey (India) Pvt. Ltd., Fugro House, D-222/30, T.T.C. Industrial Area, M.I.D.C.,Nerul,Navi Mumbai - 400 706. Maharashtra. INDIA Tel : +91 22 27629500 Fax : +91 22 2762 9140
Flamboyan
1983 / 2010
39
9.5
As required
Yes
India
As required
14M
11.5M
1 X 240
1 X 120
Apr-12
Yes
Far East
Far East
Mini G 20-240
Sleeve 10 - 160
1 x 120
1 x 120
1 x 120
1 x 480
1 x 120
1 x 120
1 x 120
1 x 120
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
2 x 160
2 x 3,000
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
GOM, International
GOM, International
India, International
GOM
USA
GOM, International
GOM, International
4 x 750 cu in.
OBC Cable
OBC Cable
OBC Cable
OBC Cable
OBC Cable
OBC Cable
OBC Cable
OBC Cable
OBC Cable
OBC Cable
OBC Cable
OBC Cable
OBC Cable
OBC Cable
OBC Cable
OBC Cable
OBC Cable
19
12
4 x 480
1 x 480
Spec
Spec
Americas
Americas
2 x 3,930
1 x 4,410
4 x 6,000 x 300
1 x 8,000
12.8
12.4
1 x 648
1 x 648
Contract
Contract
Arctic, Northern seas

Arctic, Northern seas
1 x 3,410
1 x 8,100
1 x 8,100
14.2
4 x 2,560
Yes
Worldwide
2x 4,000
4 x 6,000 x 100
South America
2 x 1,500
3 x 3,000 x 200
Worldwide inc. Antarctic
2 x 355
FSPL 35 Loyang crescent Singapore 509012

Fugro Equator
Amarco Tiger
New build
2010
65M
53M
Gardline, Endeavour House, Admiralty Rd., Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR30 3NG UK
Sea Explorer
Ocean Endeavour
Sea Proflier
Sea Surveyor
Sea Trident
Ocean Seeker
LEspoir
Tridens 1
1993/1994/2004
2004
1992
1998/1999
1984/1991/2006
1970/2000
1971/1996
1984/1991
58.8
64.4
65.7
64.4
57.9
80.7
67.5
57.9
11
11.4
11
11.4
10.2
13
10.6
10.2
2 x 160
1 x 160 up to 1,950
2 x 160
1 x 160
1 x 160
1 x 160
Global Geophysical Serevices, 3535 Briarpark Dr., Houston, TX 77042 USA

James H. Scott
Global Longhorn
Global Mirage
Global Vision
Global Quest
Lori B
Tiny Tune
DIB 1
DIB 2
Sea Diamond VIII
Seapol One
Te Were
Tuhawiki
Kobe
Yaraandoo
Cobourg
Amarco Tiger
2005
2007
2008
2007
2007
2007
2005
2007
2007
2007
2007
2007
2007
2008
2008
2008
2008
70 ft
93.9 ft
65 ft
65 ft
65 ft
48 ft
38 ft
41 ft
41 ft
180 ft
180.8 ft
54 ft
49 ft
150 ft
47 ft
52.5 ft
176 ft
22 ft
26 ft
21 ft
21 ft
18 ft
20 ft
12 ft
14 ft
14 ft
40 ft
29.5 ft
16 ft
13.8 ft
14 ft
16.4 ft
17.4 ft
37.8 ft
GSI 400, 400 5th Ave. SW Calgary, Alberta, T2P 0L6, Canada
GSI Admiral
GSI Pacific
1998
1979/2005
89.6
56.3
Marine Arctic Geological Expedition (MAGE)

Geolog Dmitriy Nalivkin
Professor Kurentsov
1985
1976
71.7
68.9
NAUTIC Offshore AS, Dronningen 1, 0211 Oslo, Norway

Neptune NAIAD
2008
66.3
Offshore Seismic Surveys, OSS, 13430 NW Freeway, Suite 800, Houston TX 77040
OSS Gulf Supplier
56.4
11.6
3 x 240
Yes
OGS Italy, Borgo Grotta Gigante 42c, P.O. Box 2011, 34016 Trieste, Italy
OGS Explora
71.9
12.8
1 x 96
M
q
M
q
M
q
MqM
q
M
q
M
q
M
q
MqM
q
Nav data
QC data
Full data
Final primary
recording media
and transmission
speed (baud ))
x
x
x
x
3592/RAID
3592/RAID
VSAT SCPC
VSAT SCPC
HDD
VSAT
(Mobile)
TBA
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
LT04
LT04
LT04
LT04
LT04
Marlink
Marlink
Marlink
Marlink
Marlink
3590E
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Variable depth
x
x
Ocean bottom
cable
High density
x
x
Deepwater
x
x
Shallow
transition zone
4C/4D
Acquisition
capability
3D
2D
x
x
Seismic
x
x
Onboard processing
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
>10m
>10m
>10m
>10m
>10m
>10m
>10m
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
DLT
FB
X
X
3490E
3490E
3490E
VSAT (256)
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
3490E
3490E
3490E
3490E
3490E
3490E
VSAT (256)
VSAT (256)
VSAT (128)
VSAT (256)
VSAT (128)
Gardline 64k
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
3590
3590
V-SAT
V-SAT
x
x
x
x
x
x
3590, 3592
3590, 3592
Iridium Open port Skansat CT

Inmarsat-C Skanti Scansat CT
Inmarsat Mini-M SP 2000M Inmarsat
Fleet-77 Thrane and Thrane AS
3590, EHD, USB
VSAT
3590
V-SAT
3490E
64k
M
q
M
q
M
q
MqM
q
M
q
M
q
M
q
MqM
q
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Maximum towable
Vessel availability
(Yes, No, or
Exclusive contract)
6 x 480*
1 x 804*
1 x 648*
6 x 564
16 x 444*
10 x 480*
18 x 480*
18 x 480
10 x 480*
22 x 480
22 x 480
10 x 648*
1 x 804
Source array
configuration as
rigged (# arrays x
capacity in cu in.)
Streamer
configuration
(# streamers x
# channels)
18
17
16.5
22
39.6
39.6
39.6
39.6
39.6
40
40
19.2
16
Primary region
Total beam (m)
Total length (m)
Vessel
name
Year rigged or
converted
PGS Strandveien 4, 1326 Lysaker Norway

Atlantic Explorer
Beaufort Explorer
Nordic Explorer
Pacific Explorer
Ramform Challenger
Ramform Explorer
Ramform Valiant
Ramform Vanguard
Ramform Viking
Ramform Sovereign
Ramform Sterling
PGS Apollo
Sanco Spirit
1994
2005
1993
1994
1996
1995
1998
1999
1998
2008
2009
2010
2011
91.5
84
81.1
91.4
86.2
83
86.2
86.2
86.2
102.2
102.2
106.8
86
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
2 x 4,130
2 x 4,130
2 x 4,130
2 x 4,130
2 x 4,135
2 x 4,130
2 x 4,130
2 x 4,130
2 x 4,130
2 x 4,130
2 x 4,130
2 x 4,135
2 x 4135
3.6 sq km
4.26 sq km
8.52 sq km
6.0 sq km
8.52 sq km
8.52 sq km
8.52 sq km
11.66 sq km
11.66 sq km
8.1 sqkm
-
TBA
Asia Pacific
Single GI Gun 90/150/210 cu.inch
N/A
2009
2010
2010
2010
2010
2012
2012
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
2 x 4,240
2 x 4,240
2 x 4,240
2 x 4,240
2 x 4,240
2 x 4,240
2 x 4,240
12 x 8,100 x 75
12 x 8,100 x 75
6 x 8,100 x 160
12 x 8,100 x 100
12 x 8,100 x 100
14 x 8,100 x 100
14 x 8,100 x 100
Yes
Yes
Yes
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
2x 3,000
2x 3,000
2x 3,000
4 x 5,000 x 100
4 x 6,000 x 100
N/A
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
3 x 1,340
6 x 6,000
6 x 6,000
12 x 6,000
Yes
Worldwide
Source
1 x 960
1 x 960
Source
PGS
Yes
PGS
Fugro Geoteam
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
1 x 4400
2 x 4400
2 X 5,260 (client selectable)
2 x 5,000
X 5,000 Bolt
2 X 5000 (client selectable)
1 x 960
4 x 480
1 x 960
1 x 960
1 x 480
2 x 800
8 x 480
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
Worldwide
4 x 4,200
6 x 7,874
6 x 6,444
4 x 4,820
4 x 3,000
2 x 2,280
6 x 4,240
1 x 12,000
4 x 6,000 x 100
2 x 6,000 x 100
1 x 12,000
1 x 6,000
1 x 6,000
6 x 8,100 x 150
2 x 480
3 x 480
12 x 640
yes
yes
yes
worldwide
worldwide
worldwide
2 x 3480
2 x 3480
2 x 5800
2 x 6000
3 x 6000
12 x 8000
2x364 or 1x804
Mar-11
Americas W.Africa
4530x3 5860x4
2x4500
Orogenic GeoExpro, Loyang Crescent, Loyang Offshore Supply Base, Block 217, SOPS Avenue, Box No. 5043, Singapore 508988
Genesis
1995/2006
52
11
1 x 120 Channel
Polarcus, PO Box 283373, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Polarcus Nadia
Polarcus Naila
Polarcus Samur
Polarcus Asima
Polarcus Alima
NB 1
NB 2
2009
2010
2010
2010
2010
2012
2012
88.8
88.8
84.2
92
92
92
92
19
19
17
21
21
21
21
REFLECT Geophysical Pte. Ltd., 8 Temasek Boulevard #17-01, Suntec Tower Three, Singapore 038988
Reflect Aries
Orient Explorer
Pacific Titan
1993/2010
1988/1995
1982/2010
70.1
81.8
64.5
18
14.8
18.5
4 x 960
4 x 960
N/A
RXT Reservoir Exploration Technologies Lysaker Torg 5 A, PO Box 104, 1325 Lysaker, Norway
Ark Phil
Beulah Chouest
Bourbon
Ocean Pearl
Sanco Star
Ramco Express
Sara Maatje IX
2007
1982/1996
2004
2001
2008
2003
1994
70
60
64
108.6
16.8
14
17
18
cable vessel
980 channels
cable vessel
(combined source/cable vessel)
58
2 x 3,990
12.5
2 x 6,000
8 6-km VSO cables
Sea Bird Exploration Nedre Vollgate 3, P.O. Box 1302, Vika 0112 Oslo, Norway
Aquila Explorer
2007
Geo Mariner
2001/2004
Harrier Explorer
2007
Hawk Explorer
2006
Hugin Explorer
2007/2008
Kondor Explorer (source only) 1984/1997
Munen Explorer
2007
Northern Explorer
1987/1998/2004
Osprey Explorer
2006
71
38.2
81
66
86
63.5
60
76
81
17.5
12.8
18.3
14.5
20
13.6
14
14
16
1 x 960
2 x 320
Source
1 x 960
2 x 5,000
2 X 1,700; 3 X 1,995
2 x 3,600 x 100
Sevmorneftegeofizika (SMNG), 17, Karl Marx St., 183025 Murmansk, Russia

Akademik Lazarev
1987/96
Akademik Nemchinov
1988/97
Akademik Shatskiy
1986/91
Geo Arctic
1988/97
Iskatel - 5
1989/97
Professor Rjabinkin 1989/1995/2007
Vyacheslav Tikhonov
2011
81.8
84
83.5
84
49.2
49.9
84.2
14.8
14.8
14.8
14.8
18.2
10.5
17
Shanghai Offshore Petroleum Bureau SINOPEC, 1225 Shangcheng Road Pu Dong, Shanghai China
Discoverer
Discoverer 2
Discoverer 6
1980
1993
2013
72
70.1
100
16.4
17.98
24
Spectrum USA, 16225 Park Ten Place, Suite 300, Houston, 77084
GGS Atlantic
Q refers to Q-Technology
2006/7
52
12
M
q
M
q
M
q
MqM
q
M
q
M
q
M
q
MqM
q
Full data
Final primary
recording media
and transmission
speed (baud ))
Onboard processing
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
3592
3592
3592
3592
3592
3592
3592
3592
3592
3592
3592
3592
3592
256K
256K
256K
256K
256K
256K
256K
256K
256K
256K
256K
256K
256K
YES
YES
YES
3590
VSAT
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
QC data
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
-
Nav data
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Variable depth
Ocean bottom
cable
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
-
High density
4C/4D
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
-
Deepwater
3D
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Shallow
transition zone
2D
Acquisition
capability
Seismic
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Yes
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
YesAs Gunboatinto 15m
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
3590
3590
x
x
x
x
VSAT
VSAT
VSAT
3590 or EHD
3590 or EHD
3590 or EHD
x
x
3590, EHD, USB

3590, EHD, USB
x
x
x
VSAT
VSAT
VSAT
VSAT
VSAT
VSAT
VSAT
Inmarsat C
NorSat C
Inmarsat C
Inmarsat C
Inmarsat C
KU Band
Inmarsat C
NorSat C
Inmarsat C
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
3590
3590
3590
3592
64k
64k
64k
64k
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
3490E
3592, USB
9.6k
VSAT
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
3592
3592
3592
VSAT
VSAT
VSAT
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
HD & 3590
SEVSAT Ship equip
x
x
As Gunboat
No
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Optical fibers present opportunities and

challenges for geophysical applications
onitoring oil and gas reservoirs using large-scale, high-fidelity, fiberoptics sensor systems can provide
timely, predictive information on
reservoir performance. A key enabling technology is specialty optical fibers.
However, the demands of higher operating
temperatures and measurement of new physical parameters such as sound and vibration
require a new generation of customized, specialty optical fiber designs.
The oil and gas industry has unique instrumentation requirements and monitoring
needs, usually driven by the harshness of the
operating environment coupled with the difficulty of mapping a reservoir over its life. Typically, operators have little information about a
wells spatial or temporal behavior during production. Measurement of hydrocarbon flow at
various critical locations in a reservoir would
provide important information about reservoir
architecture, geometrical dimensions, zonal
performance and well-to-well interactions, and
further contribute to reservoir optimization
and reserves recovery. Monitoring downhole activity can provide good information in
and around the wellbore as well as across the
reservoir. Thus, a detailed mapping of the hydrocarbon behavior can provide a meaningful
indication of how the reservoir is overburden
under the influence of production and secondary recovery phases.
Furthermore, new trends for offshore enhanced oil recovery, harsher downhole operating conditions, horizontal wells, and the
prevalence of more technically challenging
and complicated reservoir projects around
the world all drive the demand for permanent
passive reservoir monitoring solutions. For
example, real-time monitoring of temperature
and pressure in oil wells is important to manage steam floods in heavy oil reservoirs, detect inflows in horizontal wells, and optimize
the performance of a reservoir. It also offers
important data for better, faster reservoir characterization. It will also improve forecasting of
reservoir capability, thereby helping optimize
the economic recovery of reserves.
Optical fiber sensors

Over the past decade, optical fiber sensors
have become accepted within the oil industry
due to their reliability, flexibility, low operating cost, and the benefits of their multi-point
Dr. Saeed Rehman
Fibertronix AB
Dr. Alexis Mendez
MCH Engineering LLC

and distributed sensing capabilities. Initial
applications focus on downhole, single-point
bottomhole temperature and pressure sensing, as well as distributed temperature and
strain reservoir sensing. Work is also under
way to commercialize fiber optic seismic and
acoustic sensing arraysboth offshore and
onshorefor oil and gas exploration, pipeline surveillance, geophysical monitoring,
and other uses.
Fiber optic sensors are used commonly in
the acquisition of real-time data on a variety
of oil well parameters such as temperature,
strain, pressure, sand detection, vibration,
and acoustic signals, facilitating optimization of a reservoir through its lifecycle.
Because they are interrogated by light, fiber optic sensors require no electricity. Thus,
the size and weight of fiber-optic system usually can be tailored to the transport and installation program. Furthermore, due to their
dielectric nature and no need for associated
electronics downhole, they offer increased
reliability by avoiding derating of active electronic components or materials degradation.
Optical fiber based systems offer advantages
beyond reliability. They have enormous capacity in terms of numbers of sensors, sampling frequencies, and data rates to enable
very large-scale sensing systems.
Harsh environments
Depending on application and environment, optical fibers need to be coated for
both mechanical and chemical protection.
They also rely on the appropriate materials
formulation and waveguide design to ensure
reliable optical light guiding and resistance
against possible hydrogen darkening. In
general, the two main problems that can
develop over the service lifetime of optical
fibers whether subsea or downhole are:
Increased optical attenuation from hydrogen-induced losses (hydrogen darkening)
Decreased mechanical strength due to
moisture corrosion and chemical attack.
Free gaseous hydrogen diffuses through

conventional fiber coatings into silica-based
optical fibers and produce optical light absorption in the infrared. This is commonly referred
to as hydrogen-induced loss or hydrogen
darkening. Recent enhancements in specialty fiberssuch as hydrogen-resistant, pure
silica glass compositions (PSC) and improved
high temperature coatings make possible the
reliable operation of fiber systems in geophysical applications and have accelerated their acceptance for and deployment in oil reservoir
performance monitoring.
A reliable and properly designed fiber sensing system relies on the appropriate specialty
optical fiber combined with a suitable protective cable that affords the best long-term, optical, and mechanical reliability and durability
by providing immunity against the external
environmental effects, while maximizing the
sensitivity and selectivity to the physical parameters of interest.
Given some of the ongoing trends namely,
higher operating temperatures and measurement of new physical parameters such as
sound and vibration new demands are being
put on optical fiber sensors which will require
a new generation of customized, specialty
optical fiber designs with enhanced coatings
both for protection and increased sensitivity.
New sensing applications

Fiber sensing technology was introduced
in the oil and gas industry as a replacement
to the legacy electronic temperature and
pressure gauges, as well as a tool to monitor
non-conventional reservoirs and enhanced
recovery in wells through distributed temperature sensing (DTS). Now, given that the
technology has been field-proven, it is ready
to be applied in more advanced and complicated sensing applications like high-temperature geothermal wells, distributed acoustic
sensing (DAS), distributed pressure sensing
(DPS), and more. These new applications
are driven by the quest to detect the smallest possible changes in reservoir behavior,
fluid content, pressure, and geomechanics
is always a first priority for a reservoir engineer. It is beneficial for an engineer to monitor the reservoirs passively, to detect seismic
events generated as the reservoir creaks
and groans while it produces.
Such new applications also present new chal-
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Setting the Standard

Marine Seismic Acquisition
Sentinel, Nautilus & Seal 428

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Improving 3D & 4D survey management
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ANYWHERE. ANY TIME. EVERY TIME.

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New application operating vs. fiber requirements

Application
Distributed
temperature sensor (DTS)
Distributed
pressure sensors (DPS)
Distributed strain sensing (DSS)

Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS)
Operating
Environment
Specialty Fiber
Requirements
Up to 85C, low pressure,

no hydrogen
Standard acrylate coated SM and MM
150C with hydrogen
Carbon coated standard or PSC SM and MM

with HTA/Silicone
300C with hydrogen
PSC SM and MM with HT coatings
Low temp and low pressure
Special pressure sensitive coating

or modified glass core
High temp and high pressure
Special pressure sensitive coatings;

side-hole fibers; Brillouin-enhanced response
Brillouin-tailored response
High temp and high pressure
HT coatings
Side-hole fibers, acoustic enhancing coatings
lenges to specialty fiber manufacturers in terms

of new waveguide designs and fiber coatings
to withstand increased operating temperature
range (>300C), and be capable of detecting
acoustic signal and/or pressure along its entire
length. Such challenges will drive the development of the technology and lead to new products and new markets in the years to come
Distributed acoustic sensing

Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), based
on optical fiber sensing, is a novel technology
that allows the detection, discrimination, and
location of acoustic events on a specialty optical fiber over several kilometres. Using a combination of the measurement of backscattered
light and advanced signal processing, the DAS
interrogator segregates the fiber into an array
of individual microphones. Using signal processing techniques and real-time backscattered
light, the engineer can detect and identify a
specific leak signature and eliminate unwanted
events while highlighting useful acoustic components pertaining specifically to the leak.
Distributed optical fiber acoustic sensors are
proven in submarine sonar systems. The optical
fiber can be packaged in such a way that makes
it sensitive to acoustic disturbances along its entire length. Different DAS systems are available
but they are still in its early stage and need to
be proved sufficiently reliable and sensitive to
detect and monitor these in-well acoustic activities. The main challenge for these fiber sensors
is to identify and differentiate between noise
and actual acoustic event.
One exciting DAS application is in hydraulic fracturing of tight sand and shale. The cost
of hydraulic fracture stimulation versus the
production benefit is crucial in tight sand and
shale gas developments. Acoustic event detection can provide 4D geophysical data and
completion infrastructure monitoring, which
can provide crucial data. This would provide
an excellent view of reservoir depletion as
well as permit production optimization. It is
anticipated that engineers will be able to locate leaks with confidence to reduce operating cost by reducing the number of failed interventions. The need for experienced highly
trained log analysts also will be reduced.
Distributed pressure sensing

Liquid hydrocarbons have to move from
their reservoirs to remote plants for processing. Pipeline safety and reliability, as well as
flow assurance are the main drivers for the
development of new, on-line, monitoring techniques to detect and localize wax and hydrate
build-ups and other blockages in oil pipelines.
Historically, DTS systems have been used to
indirectly detect and locate an internal blockage (or leak, for that matter) from the localized temperature change produced. Similarly,
a distributed pressure system will be more
effective and provide more direct information
about flow characteristics and flow assurance.
Different fiber optic systems are in development which claim to measure distributed
pressure along the length of optical fiber cable. Three main techniques, interferometic,
polarimetric, and Brillouin scattering, are
used to measure the pressure. In interferometrics, vibration is tracked along the length
of the fiber. In polarimetrics, the change in
the birefringence due the shape or deformation of the fiber, is measured along the
length of the fiber. The third technique is
based on the conversion of hydrostatic pressure acting along a specially coated optical
fiber, into a distributed mechanical strain.
Measurements of distributed pressure can
be thus inferred by converting the applied
hydrostatic pressure into distributed mechanical strain acting on the fiber, and measuring the strain changes by the Brillouin
scattering frequency shifts they experience.
Seismic measurement
In petroleum exploration, it is customary
to perform acoustic surveys using ships that
drag strings with arrays of piezoelectric transducers that pick up the reflected wave vibrations produced by an acoustic pulse source.
A multitude of reflected pulses provides information on the density and distribution or rock
and hydrocarbons across the various layers
of a formation to help locate new reservoirs.
Similarly, periodic surveys on a producing reservoir can help assess the formations properties over the life of the well. However, these
electronic systems are prone to failure due to
electric shorts, water leaks, and salt corrosion.
Hence, more reliable seismic sensing systems
based on optical fiber sensors have been proposed.
An example of a deepwater fiber optic
seismic system that is completely passive
(no electronics on the wet side), relying exclusively on the interrogation of light signals
to measure vibrations and acoustic signals,
is OptoSeis developed by PGS. This seismic
system is of the 4D4C type, meaning that it
has three fiber optic accelerometers (one for
each orthogonal axis-x, y, and z) and one hydrophone, to detect underwater acoustic signals. These fiber optic sensors are of the Michelson interferometric type and are housed
in a special protective pad. The system is designed for permanent installation as an ocean
bottom cable (OBC) array. Subsea fiber optic
cables are laid on the bottom of the ocean in
a grid pattern to monitor underwater oil well
activity over a large surface area, with sensor
pads located every 50 m (164 ft) along the
cable which is trenched into the seafloor to
a depth of zero to 2 m (6 ft) allowing for
continuous seismic monitoring in time, hence
the 4D part and over the service lifetime of
the reservoir to provide life-of-field-seismic
(LoFS) monitoring.
The requirements imposed by these new
applications have resulted in the evolution of
a new subset of custom-tailored optical fibers
commonly known as specialty fibers. There
are three fundamental aspects that one can
manipulate to develop a specialty fiber: glass
composition, waveguide design, and coatings. The table summarizes the envisioned
specialty fibers needed to address these new
generation fiber sensing applications.
Conclusions
The adoption of optical fibers and fiberoptic based sensors continues to progress
in the oil and gas industry, as well as other
harsh environment applications. However, as
the applications evolve, so do the technical
challenges which demand improvements in
performance and reliability. This drives the
development of enhanced fibers with coatings that can withstand high temperatures
and pressure, as well as those tailored to provide adequate temperature, strain, pressure,
and/or acoustic sensitivity.
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Visit www.offshore-mag.com/webcasts
to view this presentation.
Webcast Presenter Dr. Rupak Ghosh
Dr. Rupak Ghosh is employed by ExxonMobil Development Company as a Riser/
owline Lead Engineer. Ghosh has over 12-yrs experience in HPHT deepwater
developments, six years in nuclear engineering, and three years in civil structures.
His academic experiences include a Ph. D. and MS from Rice University.
teel Catenary Risers (SCR) have emerged as an attractive

solution for subsea eld development of deepwater
offshore development. The notable advantage is the reliability
and integrity of system over eld life with relatively lower cost.
However, the recent exploration success of High Pressure (up
to 15-ksi) and High Temperature (up to 250 F) reservoirs
(HPHT) has posed design challenges in terms of fabrication of
thick-walled pipes, riser hang-off system selection, and longterm fatigue design. These challenges are further enhanced
when the application is associated with oaters such as Semi-submersible, Floating Production Storage
and Ofoading (FPSO), and Tension Leg Platform (TLP).
ExxonMobil presents a reliable design philosophy for HPHT SCR design. The issues discussed herein center
on fatigue design strategy of thick-walled section, realistic soil/pipe modeling and strain based design
philosophy in survival and accidental conditions. Using some specic case studies the proposed design
philosophies will be compared to general design philosophies adopted by the offshore industry.
__________________________
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DRILLING & COMPLETION
Upgraded semi offers improved

motions, lower downtime
Nick Terdre
Contributing Editor
he new GVA 7600 semisubmersible drilling rig design is intended to offer improved operability and flexibility allied to
high HSE standards. It draws on Gothenburg-based GVAs experience with the GVA 7500 and the development of Statoils
Category D rig project.
Currently GVA has three projects under way with drilling contractors, and the concept has also elicited interest from oil companies
and shipyards, according to business development director Peo
Svrd.
Although many new rigs have come onto the market in recent
years, oil companies high expectations and the authorities evermore stringent HSE requirements are keeping demand for newbuilds high, he says. There are around 150 rigs that are over 25
years old which do not comply with the latest HSE rules and standards, let alone emerging ones nor do they satisfy the oil companies desire for tailor-made units.
There is scope, therefore, for new designs. GVAs feedback was
solicited from operators and owners of GVA 7500 units with six
units in operation and a further three on order, this is now a proven
design. The latest semi ordered, for Norwegian contractor Odfjell
Drilling, will work under a seven-year contract for BP in the harsh
environments west of the Shetlands and in the Norwegian Sea.
Another important background source was Statoils Category D
rig project, intended for production drilling in mid-water depths on
the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). This project, in which GVA
worked closely with 13 drilling contractors, four fabrication yards
and two drilling package vendors, resulted in the GVA 4000 NCS
design.
We learned a lot from the different participants, as well as receiving valuable input from Statoil, said Svrd. Now we have merged
these two experiences into the improved design that is the GVA
7600.
Improvements include major geometrical changes in the hull,
which has different columns from those on the GVA 7500. Performance is also better, with heave motions, for example, reduced by
up to 15%.
Much of the learning from the Category D project related to operability, especially of the drilling equipment. This has found expression, for example, in improved ways of moving heavy equipment
around through use of multi-skidding systems and lifts. These are
less sensitive to motions, leading to a reduction in downtime. And
to a greater degree than before, equipment handling and moving is
performed by remotely operated machines, which reduces the risk
to personnel and the rig itself, Svrd claims.
The design also incorporates an innovative x-shaped moonpool,
the size of which can be varied. When heavy equipment is being
deployed through the moonpool, it can be set to the smaller size,
allowing for better control of the operation. And when the drilling
riser is in place, it can be opened up to minimize the likelihood of
interference between the riser and the hull, thereby accommodating a higher degree of drift-off.
The new GVA 7600 semi incorporates wide-ranging design enhancements.
Environmental performance, and the introduction of ever tougher

standards, is another priority. The GVA 7600 takes into account the
coming Tier III standards on emissions to air that will take force in
2016. The design includes space allocation for the additional equipment likely to be required.
Tightening requirements on emissions to sea have been accounted for by two additional drain systems, so that there are now three:
for waste from non-contaminated areas; non-polluting hazardous
waste; and hazardous liquids.
Flexibility is another feature, Svrd says, allowing rigs operating
under long-term contracts to be deployed in different locations or
for different types of job without requiring major work. The flexibility comes from the rigs large deck area, and the high variable deck
load makes the rig less sensitive to extra equipment.
The new design retains traditional features of the GVA semisubmersible concept. The topsides, for example, is located within a
deck box, which gives stiffness to the hull/topsides structure and
creates greater buoyancy a factor which helped to keep BPs Thunder Horse platform, a GVA 40000 unit, floating after it was damaged
by a hurricane in 2005.
Dividing the rig into several blocks within yards lifting capacity
eases fabrication. So does welding accessibility GVAs solution provides connections between columns, wing pontoons, deckbox and
pontoons. This not only gives welders ease of access, but through
the use of a cast steel product, ensures an efficient load distribution,
limiting fatigue factors. The design approach also allows inspection
of these critical details from inside which helps bring down operational costs.
GVAs close relationships with yards, not least through its custom
of having representatives accompanying construction on behalf of
the owner, allow it to keep abreast of fabrication issues.
The GVA 7600 comes in two versions: for mid-water, up to 1,500
m (4,500 ft); and deepwater, from 1,500 to 3,400 m (4,500-10,000 ft).
Both have a drilling depth of up to 12,000 m (40,000 ft). The main
difference between the two versions is the heavy weight of the riser
needed for deepwater drilling there are some significant differences in the layout of the main deck due to riser considerations,
Svrd says.
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Exhibit at
Deep Offshore Technology International
developing
Technologies
for frontier
regions
27 29 November 2012
Perth Convention Exhibition Centre | Perth, Australia
DOT is a very good show for us because it is focused on deepwater technology and the primary participants are
engineers from all over the world; it is a very good opportunity for us to listen to not only their papers, but for them
to come visit us at our booth. Pat McQuinn, Oil States
For more than three decades Deep Offshore Technology (DOT) International has been showcasing pioneering technology that has
been shaping the future of the deep and ultra-deepwater industry. DOT puts you at the heart of the leading industry forum which
attracts key industry experts and decision makers from major E&P companies.
Quick Stats from Deep Offshore Technology International 2011

25 Operating Companies in Attendance including Shell, Chevron, BP, ExxonMobil, TOTAL, Anadarko, Hess, Woodside,
Petrobras, and more
Nearly 1,000 attendees from 30 countries
74% of exhibitors indicated that the quantity of attendee trafc met or exceeded their expectations
89% of exhibitors rated their overall success and satisfaction with DOT 2011 as exceptional, meeting or
exceeding their expectations
For more exhibit or sponsorship information, visit www.deepoffshoretechnology.com or contact:
Jane Bailey
Europe, Middle East & Africa
T: +44 (0) 1992 656 651
F: +44 (0) 1992 656 700
E: janeb@pennwell.com
Sue Neighbors
Americas
T: +1 713 963 6256
F: +1 713 963 6212
E: sneighbors@pennwell.com
Michael Yee
Singapore, South East Asia,
China
T: +65 9616 8080
F: +65 6734 0655
E: yfyee@singnet.com.sg
Owned & Produced By:
Presented By:
Mike Twiss
Australia, New Zealand
T: +61 8 9529 4466
F: +61 8 9529 4488
E: miklinbusiness@bigpond.com
Supported By:
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E N G I N E E R I N G , C O N S T R U C T I O N , & I N S TA L L AT I O N
OSX ramps up to meet

Brazilian vessel demand
New Au Shipbuilding Unit strategically located near the Campos basin
razils oil and gas service company,

OSX Brasil S.A., began construction
on the largest shipyard in the Americas, the Au Shipbuilding Unit (UCN
Au), in July 2011. Located in the Au
Superport Industrial Complex in So Joo
da Barra, Rio de Janeiro state, UCN Au will
cover more than 3 million sq m (32 million
sq ft) and will include a 2,400-m (7,784-ft)
pier, expandable to 3,525 m (11,565 ft), and
an internal navigation channel.
Under a high-level technical agreement
with Hyundai Heavy Industries, the South
Korean shipbuilder provides OSX with stateof-the-art technology and experience. At
least eight Hyundai engineers are involved
in building the $1.93-billion Au Shipbuild-
Gurdip Singh
Contributing Editor
ing Unit. The number of Korean engineers

and supervisors is expected to increase as
the shipyard opens for business in 2013.
The Au Shipbuilding Unit is expected
to start off with a $4.8-billion order book
backed by Brazils national plan to invest
$140 billion to build reserves to 100 Bboe by
2020. OSXs bullish order book includes 48
units of offshore exploration and production
equipment, an estimated $30-billion investment by sister company, OGX Petrleo e
Gs Participaes S.A.
Carlos Eduardo Bellot, director of engineering, leasing, and operation at OSX, expects strong demand for a fabrication, conversion, and integration service yard since
Brazil will need 182 facilities to fulfill its offshore exploration and production plan over
the next 10 years.
At the sail away ceremony of FPSO OSX-1
on Aug. 13, 2011, in Singapore, Bellot said
the shipyard would specifically handle mega
projects such as the conversion of tankers
into FPSOs, as well as exploration and production units, drillships, tension leg platforms, wellhead platforms, and tankers.
The UCN Au is designed to have six
slots for FPSO conversion, and is scheduled
The acquired tanker that became the FPSO OSX-1 was converted by Singapores Keppel Shipyard.
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FEBRUARY 5 7, 2013
MOODY GARDENS CONVENTION CENTER
GALVESTON, TEXAS, USA
WWW.TOPSIDESEVENT.COM
______________________
Join hundreds of colleagues and exhibiting companies for this high-level technical conference and exhibition and
connect with key decision makers and technical experts directly involved in the topsides industry.
Over three days, TOPSIDES, PLATFORMS & HULLS will feature presentations covering technical issues, business challenges
and future trends, plus showcase an exhibition of products and services from dozens of key engineering firms, contractors,
suppliers and service providers. Join us in Galveston, February 5-7, 2013!
OWNED &
PRODUCED BY
PRESENTED BY
SUPPORTED BY
HOSTED BY
PLATINUM SPONSOR
GOLD SPONSOR
OPENING NIGHT
RECEPTION SPONSOR
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The sail away ceremony of FPSO OSX-1 was

held last August in Singapore.
2014 and 3.95 MMboe in 2020.

The Au Shipbuilding Unit is strategically
located along the Au Superport about 150
km (93 mi) from the Campos basin, which
accounts for about 75% of Brazils production.
OGX program
to deliver its first vessel in 2Q 2014. Its first

project is the FPSO OSX-4 in 2013; the FPSOs OSX-1, 2, and 3 are being built at shipyards in Singapore while the yard is under
construction. FPSOs OSX-5, 6, 7, 8, and 9
are scheduled to be delivered on a quarterly
basis through 3Q 2015.
The shipyard has two areas for wellhead
platforms. It will deliver the first wellhead
platforms, WHP-3, in 3Q 2013 to OGX. WHP4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, are scheduled to be delivered on a quarterly basis through 3Q 2014.
Bellot said the shipyard will have one dry
dock with the size and capacity to handle
two drillships at one time. We will use the
dry dock for conversion work, he said, and
will carry out the integration work in the sea
away from dockside. The first dry dock
cost $133 million.
Cash flow from early projects supports
the OSX venture into the E&P service sector. OSX raised R$2.4 billion ($1.4 billion)
through an initial public offer in 1Q 2011 to
finance the shipyard construction and pay
for a tanker acquisition. The acquired tanker
was converted into the FPSO OSX-1 by Singapores Keppel Shipyard.
OSX also has a merchant marine fund of
about R$2.7 billion ($1.6 billion). Backing
OSX are the huge prospects in OGXs 22
blocks offshore Brazil. Seven blocks are in
the Campos basin, five in the Santos basin,
five in the Espirito Santo basin, and five in
the Para Maranhao basin. OSX also cites
OGXs 43 oil and gas discoveries to date with
6.7 Bboe of risked prospective reserves, assuming a probability of success of 35%.
The National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Biofuels (ANP), Brazils oil and
gas authority, requires that 70% of equipment and services used in the exploration,
development and production of oil and gas

concessions be of Brazilian (local) content.
The Au Shipbuilding Unit is expected to
create 4,000 jobs during implementation
and construction, and 10,000 jobs when the
shipyard becomes operational.
Anchor client
OGX Oil & Gas production director Reinaldo Belotti endorsed OSXs plans and business development strategy. OSX was created in 3Q 2009 by EBX Group to support
OGX projects through a strategic cooperation agreement.
OSX started with OGX as an anchor client
in the Waimea prospect in the Campos basin, which has between 500 and 900 MMboe
in reserves.
OGX has set a goal to produce 1.38
MMb/d of oil by 2019. OSX estimates a
demand for 48 production units for developing OGX resources between 2011 and 2019.
FPSO OSX-1 is the first venture into production, chartered for 20 years at an average
day rate of $263,000. Another 18 FPSOs,
five tension leg wellhead platforms and 24
wellhead platforms would be required, with
five to be delivered in 2013, six in 2014, 12
in 2015, 13 in 2016, six in 2017, four in 2018,
and one in 2019.
Shipyards are not enough to cater to the
massive demand for offshore and marine
facilities, stressed Bellot. The Au shipyard,
along with the Mac Laren, Maua and Brasfels yards, are not enough for the long-term
orders planned by Petrobras, the Brazilian
national petroleum group. In total, 182 facilities would be required over the next 10
years. Petrobras has developed a budget
of $111 billion to increase its oil production
from 2.1 MMboe in 2010 to 2.98 MMboe in
The FPSO OSX-1 started production

on Jan. 31, 2012, following the injection of
chemical fluids in well OGX-26HP on Jan.
28. OGX will test different flow rate levels,
gradually reaching a stable production level
of about 15,000 b/d. OGX expects to declare
the Waimea field commercially viable after
gathering reservoir data in the first half of
2012. The company anticipates connecting
two additional horizontal wells, which could
take production levels to 40,000 50,000 b/d
during the second half of the year.
Though Campos is an oil-bearing basin,
some gas produced would be used for operating power generation facilities on the
FPSOs with the balance re-injected into the
field. Going forward, Campos would have
five FPSOs to handle the crude oil, graded
to be of API 15 to API 35.
OGX has confirmed presalt microbiolite
reservoirs with hydrocarbons in the shallow
waters of the Santos basin. The wildcat well
1-OGX-63-SPS, in BM-S-57, identified hydrocarbons in the Aptian and Albian sections.
OGX holds a 100% working interest in this
block.
The OGX-63 well known as Fortaleza
is in the BM-S-57 block, 102 km (63 mi) off
the coast of Rio de Janeiro state, at a water
depth of approximately 155 m (509 ft). The
well identified a hydrocarbon column of approximately 1,000 m (3,281 ft) with a net pay
of approximately 110 m (361 ft) in the Albian
section.
The drilling reached the Aptian section,
where it identified hydrocarbons through a
high gas presence that resulted in a kick,
which OGX takes as indicating favorable
permo-porosity characteristics and high
pressure. The kick was controlled and the
analysis of rock fragments confirmed a microbiolite reservoir of Aptian age the same
type of reservoir rock found in the deep and
ultra-deepwater presalt of the Santos and
Campos basins.
Due to the high pressures, drilling was
suspended to replace the Ocean Quest rig
with the Ocean Star, also part of OGXs fleet.
The Ocean Star is equipped to continue the
operation, which is expected to include logging and possibly conducting at least one
drillstem test.
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Submersible vehicle overcomes

restrictions of deepwater installations
ncreasingly, the subsea industry is being asked to help develop more complex
fields in deeper water. These fields can
require deployment of large structures
in hostile environments which challenge
the capabilities of most existing installation
vessels. Lack of suitable vessels and restricted operating windows can place significant
constraints on the project schedule.
A new subsea deployment system (SDS)
offers a cost-effective alternative to a conventionally lifted installation that meets or
exceeds the weight and depth capacities of
existing vessels. It enables even the smallest
crane or anchor handling vessel to transport
and install medium to large structures (from
100 t to several 1,000 t) in water depths of
100 m 3,000 m (328-9,842 ft), and in hostile
environments. It offers potential cost savings of 60% on multi-structure installations
and up to 80% on single-structure installations.
The system employs a fully submersible
vehicle known as the subsea deployment
vessel (SDV) to support the subsea structure during transportation, positioning and
installation. This vehicle consists of solid
buoyancy modules supported on a steel
frame. The amount of buoyancy is sufficient
to render the combined SDV and payload
slightly positively buoyant.
The complete assembly is transported to
site using a submerged tow which largely
eliminates the effects of the surface environment. It also avoids the often critical phases
David Paul
Arnbjorn Joensen
Subsea Deployment Systems
of offshore over boarding and lowering

through the splash zone. Final positioning
and set down is achieved by means of chains
lowered into the SDV which behave as soft
springs and minimize dynamic loading.
Once the structure is landed on the seabed, ballast is added to the SDV to compensate for the weight of the structure prior to
disconnection. The ballast is deployed in
batches to suit the capacity of the surface
vessel, so if the cranes effective capacity
is, for instance, 100 t and the structure is
400 t, the ballast would be deployed in four
batches.
Another advantage of the system is its
relatively low weather sensitivity, which
increases the operating window for hostile
regions, offering greater schedule flexibility.
This is particularly beneficial in emergency
response scenarios. The low dynamic loading and the ability to dispense with the need
to recover structures to deck offshore also
makes the system attractive for salvaging
redundant structures.
An affordable and readily available subsea heavy lift capability offers the potential to develop fields with fewer and larger
structures, avoiding costly inter-structure
connections. It should also facilitate devel-
opment of more marginal fields. Although

heavy lift vessels (HLVs) are frequently
used for both the installation of heavy structures and pipelay, removing the need for an
HLV offers the potential to adopt a cheaper
pipelay vessel, resulting in overall field development savings.
A typical installation will involve load-out,
surface tow, submerged tow, positioning,
set-down, ballasting and float-off. The structure may be loaded-out into the SDV by a variety of methods, depending on the available
equipment and draught, including a direct
lift, a submersible barge or a dry dock.
When the water depth is limited at the
load-out location, the side hulls are dry and
the SDV and structure are towed in shallow draught surface tow mode until reaching a suitable inshore location for flooding
the hulls. Once the hulls are flooded, the
amount of solid buoyancy is such that the
SDV will float with only the castles and chain
towers breaking the water surface. The tow
wire and chain clump weight are then paid
out causing the SDV to submerge fully for
the transit to site. The depth of the SDV is
adjusted by varying the tow speed and the
length of the tow wire.
On approaching the field, the vessel slows
down and adjusts the tow wire while keeping
the chain clump weight off the seabed until
in a designated parking area. The vessel
then pays out the tow wire until the clump
weight rests on the seabed; at which point
the SDV and structure is safely anchored
The subsea deployment vessel during shallow surface tow and under deep surface tow.
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Control chains connected to a chain tower

adjust the position of
the SDV.
Various offshore tow configurations.
and floats above the seabed.

Ideally the length of tow wire between the clump
weight and SDV will be marginally greater than the
distance between the parking area and the final
target location. This allows final set-down without
the need to lift and re-position the tow chain clump
weight.
The SDV is positioned by means of two control
chains suspended from the installation vessel and
lowered into the chain towers. The height of the
SDV is adjusted by lifting or lowering the control
chains and the position, and orientation of the SDV
is adjusted by moving the installation vessel and/
or the crane.
Once the SDV is in the correct position and orientation, the structure is landed by lowering the control
chains until the structure rests on the seabed. The
control chains are then fully lowered into the chain
towers and temporarily disconnected. The weight of
the control chains contributes to the initial on-bottom
stability, i.e. prior to ballasting.
Ballast weights are added to the SDV ballast
chain lockers by the surface vessel crane to balance
the weight of the structure. Once all the ballast is
added, the SDV is slightly negatively buoyant and
just rests on the structure. The SDV is now disconnected from the structure.
The installation vessel re-connects to the control
chains and raises them until the SDV is neutrally
buoyant and continues lifting the chains until the
Register Now
30 APRIL3 MAY 2012

HO U S T O N, T E X AS, U S A
W
W W.OTCNE T.ORG / 2012
__________________
The Offshore Technology

Conference is the
worlds foremost event
for the development
of offshore resources
in the fields of drilling,
exploration, production, and
environmental protection.
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SDV floats clear of the structure. The control chains are then removed completely
from the towers, allowing the SDV to float
above the seabed while remaining safely
anchored by the clump weight before being
towed back to shore.
Apart from the cost and schedule advantages, the SDS also offers numerous safety
advantages compared to a conventional
lifted installation. The most critical phases
of a conventional lifted installation are typically over boarding, deployment through the
splash zone and final set down. Once the over
boarding has started, it is generally not practical to suspend the operation before landing
the structure on the seabed. Also, a suitable
weather window is required which will last
for the duration of the entire installation.
The SDS avoids offshore over boarding
and deployment through the splash zone. Instead, the SDV and structure are submerged
at an inshore location where the environmental conditions are more benign. This significantly reduces the dynamic loading on the
structure and installation vessel.
During the final set down with a conventional installation, there is a rapid change
of tension in the hoist wire as the structure lands on the seabed. This can result in
snatch loads in adverse sea states; and it is
therefore desirable to fully release the load
as soon as the structure lands. This largely
precludes the option to reposition the structure if it has been landed off target. The SDS
differs from a conventional installation in
that there is no significant change of tension in the control chain down lines when
the structure touches the seabed. There is
no possibility of snatch loading, and the set
down is unaffected by the surface environmental conditions. It is also possible to land
the structure and reposition it, if required.
If delays occur during a conventional installation with deteriorating weather conditions, there is a risk of overloading the hoist
wires and/or structure due to increased dynamic loading. This could result in failure
of the wire and catastrophic loss. The SDS
largely eliminates the dynamic loading on
control chains, the structure and its connection to the SDV, thereby reducing the risk
of a failure. The only hoist wires used in the
SDS are associated with the control chains.
These are subject to relatively low dynamic
loading which reduces the likelihood of failure. Even if failure did occur, it would not
result in loss of the structure.
When using the SDS, the structure and
SDV are parked close to the seabed and consequently the time for lowering the structure to the seabed is short. This reduces
the required weather window, and any delays during the installation are less critical.
In addition, the lowering operation can be
suspended at any time without risk to the

structure or personnel. The control chains
are simply withdrawn from the towers and
the structure/SDV is safely anchored by the
tow chain clump weight.
All individual aspects of the SDS are developed from very basic principles and existing technology, but the combination has
resulted in a potential game changer for
the development, installation and decom-
missioning of subsea structures.

Operators and contractors worldwide
are currently looking at this new system
and reviewing its applications with interest,
intrigued with the possibilities of widening
their options for their forthcoming projects,
reducing costs, and perhaps even more
importantly reducing the project schedule.
SDS is looking to align with an innovative
partner to bring this concept to market.
Mooring Foundations Subsea
___________________

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P R O D U C T I O N O P E R AT I O N S
New multi-service vessel design

enhances development options
John Payne
Hallin Marine
he higher price of crude oil seen on the world market in recent

months has created a favorable environment for offshore fields
that have higher technical costs of recovery. The US EIA is reported to have forecast that oil prices could reach $150 a barrel
by 2015 if new production is not brought onstream.
In addition, the pressure on production costs continues to support a need for cost-effective subsea services and light well intervention. These are subsea services that utilize existing and developing
technology while supporting the drive for new vessels that can work
in deeper waters and harsher environments.
Within the subsea market, there are considerable challenges as
operators look to increase existing production rates and the quantity
of recoverable oil from known reservoirs. The challenges multiply
when these factors are present in new deepwater prospects.
As the cost of technology increases and financial and human resource constrains development, a company needs to decide clearly in
which sector to operate, and the skill sets needed. Other factors that
should be considered include: construction at the EPC level versus
specialist works post development; and/or shallow versus deepwater.
The problem is more complex than the simple parameters mentioned.
Many of the new fields presently under development have unique problems which need more analysis for example, dealing with high-temperature high-pressure wells at a 1,200-m (3,900-ft) water depth.
What is the intervention solution, and which contractors are able to
provide a full solution? This level of complexity is also linked to more
updated risk management plans in the event of subsea incidents.
Subsea intervention continues to be an emerging market, despite the
underlying increase in subsea wells. Some new entrants moved into the
intervention market in 20082010 with single-operation vessel designs.
However, the impact of financing constraints, high construction costs
and delayed deliveries have severely impacted some market participants who can only wait for the intervention market to gain momentum.
Nevertheless, demand for multi--service vessels is rising. Operators
are increasingly looking for vessels that can carry out light well intervention at multiple depths. At the same time, they are looking for vessels
flexible enough to carry out a range of operations, with a cost base that
is competitive across the breadth of services and depth of operations.
Additional requirements for handling capping and containment
systems are being developed, but the full scope is currently far from
clear. Systems today are in excess of 85 m tons (93.7 tons), so only
the higher range vessel capability is suitable for this type of work.
The ideal service provider is the service company with vessel and
intervention capability, plus a significant downhole knowledge base.
For the foreseeable future, the multi-service vessel must be designed to work across a spectrum of markets: subsea installation,
support work, IRM and well intervention but at a price tag that
works in a cyclical market.
Demand for these services is likely to rise in the coming decade
as subsea hydrocarbon recovery systems increase in prominence.
Currently there is insufficient well intervention demand to fully
Artistic rendering of Hallins compact semisubmersible multi-service vessel.
support the continued deployment of a vessel outside mature areas

such as the NWCS and the GoM.
Therefore, the majority of a vessels time is likely to be spent
competing for IRM and subsea contracts. The multi-service vessel
aligned with an intervention capability has a substantial competitive
advantage over the majority of the offshore vessel fleet, especially if
equipped with permanent intervention handling systems and with
suitable deepwater lifting capability.
Hallin, with its joint venture partners Minnow Marine Projects
Ltd. and STX Canada Marine Inc. (formerly Aker Yards Marine),
has developed a vessel design that responds to the need for greater
flexibility. This design also provides cost-effective solutions in both
subsea services and well intervention, along with a variant for high
occupancy accommodation. The vessel is designed to be a lowercost alternative to large MSVs and traditional semisubmersibles.
The 84-m (276-ft) compact semisubmersible, with accommodation for 152 persons and increased deck space, is comparable with
the larger 120-m plus (394-ft plus) vessels that have been built for
the deepwater market. With a design philosophy of starboard side
working, the vessel has a beam of 32 m (105 ft) which, with its twin
hull, gives a significantly enhanced working platform in beam seas.
The vessel is designed to provide multiple subsea services that support the operators desire to improve production and reduce costs,
with motion characteristics that significantly exceed that of similar
length units. Of particular note is the compliance with MODU regulations and guidelines. Typically, a traditional vessel would not need or
be able to comply with these requirements.
The ships classification designation is ABS +A1, Column Stabilized Drilling Unit, +AMS (E), DPS-3, UWILD, Helidk. This notation is assigned to a mobile offshore structure that depends upon
the buoyancy of columns for flotation and stability for all modes of
operation of raising and lowering the unit. It denotes that the unit is
designed and built under ABS in accordance with the ABS Rules for
Building and Classing Mobile Offshore Drilling Units.
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WELL INTERVENTION
SOLUTIONS
Cudd Energy Services provides a full range of well intervention services, from a simple sand wash

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Hydraulic Workover: Conventional Workover; Live Well Intervention (Snubbing); Completion Services;
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Underreaming; Jetting, Displacements, and Cleanouts; Siphon, Velocity, and Injection String Installations
PROVEN EXPERIENCE. TRUSTED RESULTS.

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With a purpose-built ROV and subsea intervention tooling control room, the team is able
to provide both installation and subsea support
which addresses construction and umbilical
installation. The design also meets the embryonic light well intervention requirements that
continue to be challenged by the economics of
rig versus vessel and the associated risk characteristics. Such dynamics are being made more
complex by the need to deal with recovery from
high-temperature high-pressure subsea wells
as well as enhanced risk management profiles.
With a dead weight of 3,800 m tons (4,188
tons) and a deck cargo capacity at operational draft 8.2 m (26.9 ft) of 1,500 m tons
(1,653 tons), the vessels working deck area
is in excess of 1,300 sq m (13,993 sq ft). Load
capability around the working moonpool is
10 m tons (11 tons) per square meter. The
working deck is specifically designed to give
a single length run of 60 m on the starboard
side within easy access of the subsea crane.
To support subsea operations, the vessel is
equipped with a MacGregor-designed-and-built
150-m ton (165-ton) knuckle-boom offshore
crane and associated active heave compensation
system. The main subsea sea development is the
MacGregor 160-m ton (11-ton) SWL modular
handling system (MHS) for deepwater intervention over a 7.5 x 7.8-m (24.6 x 25.6-ft) moon pool.
The MHS supports a 160T SWL winch wire

with 3,000-m (9,842.5-ft) depth rating allowing
for guided support at most working depths.
The combination of MHS and crane gives a
versatile twin deployment capability especially
with the vessel ballasted down to 10-m (32.8ft) deepwater capability. The enhanced stability greatly increases the dwt capability of the
vessel for one-off lifts.
A key aspect of working operations is the
management of the subsea modules at sea, with
a built-in recessed skidding system and four off
120-m ton (132-ton) SWL pallets. The vessel is
able to manage preloaded modules for transfer to
the MHS and subsequent deployment through
the moon pool without crane operations.
The vessel is designed with built-in ROV
hangers both amidships and starboard. Hangers are suitably sized for two constructionclass ROVs capable of working to a depth of
3,000 m (9,842 ft).
The compact semisubmersible (CSS) is a
unique multi-hull form designed to provide
greater sea-keeping capabilities when in dynamic positioning mode. The vessel design has
been tank-tested and evaluated using numeric
modeling based upon the potential flow theory.
The hull design selection process was initially driven by low ship motions, which require low waterplane area. The mission profile
Module handling system with skidding arrangement.
of the CSS obviously dictates a high deck cargo

capacity which requires high waterplane area
for stability. The final hull shape is one which
has led to a large beam (32 m or 105 ft) to gain
the stability required, while minimizing the
waterplane area as much as possible. This hull
Together, we can manage

temperature & pressure...no
matter the depth. Our engineers
and technicians deliver customerdriven, innovative solutions
making Parker Energy Products
Division your reliable systems
provider.
When you partner with the global leader in motion and control technologies, expect to move your business to deeper levels. If you are looking to connect subsea and
require highly skilled installation services, Parker Energy Products Division (EPD) has global solutions for your energy recovery. Our power cables, mooring and umbilicals
can take you as deep as you need to go...and then some.
www.parkerepd.com +1 281 566 4500
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1 8
81 7-2
th 2
oo rch
tB a
si M
Vi TA o
IC
WHEN NATURE CHALLENGES
DEVIN ANSWERS
Motion Compensation Solutions For Optimal Performance
Nature has many ways to challenge offshore well operations: storm
systems, tidal waves, and loop currents. Devin International has the
proven and trusted answers to effectively deal with those challenges.
When performing well intervention operations in deepwater
or harsh environments, Devins Motion Compensation Systems
Motion Buster, DIME, Dual DIME, Lift Frames and
DALFprovide the coiled tubing support necessary to ensure safe,
efcient and accurate operations.
Lift Frame Systems
The Devin Motion BusterTM
Company Website:
www.DevinDevin.com/motion
Dual DIMETM
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form exhibits pitch and heave motions similar to a 50% longer monohull with greatly reduced roll motions. The forward and aft ends
of the struts are streamlined to reduce wave
resistance, while the pontoons are shaped to
reduce resistance further when in transit and
maneuvering. At the same time simple, developable shapes have been used throughout the
hull to minimize construction costs.
Physical tank testing was carried out by
Oceanic Consulting Corp. in St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada, on behalf of STX Canada
Marine Inc. The test was designed to provide
data and insight into the hull form behavior,
and for comparison with the numerical model.
To evaluate performance, the following
experiments were undertaken:
Resistance experiments to determine the
resistance and effective power of the design at forward and lateral speeds
Sea keeping to determine vessel motions
and the accelerations at speed in head
and following sea; slamming loads on
wet deck and global load on cross deck
were also evaluated. The evaluation was
carried out at an operational draft of 8.2
m (27 ft) in waves of 2.5 to 6.0 m (8.2 to
19.7 ft) vertical height
Station keeping was evaluated in headings ranging from 0 to 180 degrees to de-
termine motions and accelerations while

on site at zero speed. Experiments were
conducted with 2.5, 4.0, 6.0 and 12.0-m
(8.2, 13.1, 19.7, and 39.3-ft) waves.
The outcomes of the tank testing verified
the station-keeping capability and reconfirmed the powering requirements for the
vessel in both DP3 mode and on passage to
achieve speed of 11 knots.
The tank demonstrated that slamming,
even in the worst seas (12.0 m or 39.3 ft),
was within acceptable limits especially when
at slower speeds.
Model and tank testing has shown that the
vessel has good motion performance and is
able to hold its own against a larger monohull
vessel in the 120-m (394-ft) range.
As can be seen from the results, the CSS
hull design in relation to that of the 120-m
(394-ft) monohull is comparable in the three
aspects considered essential during dynamic
positioning and stationing. In all cases, the two
hulls give similar measurements except for
the roll. In this case, the semisubmersible hull
shape gives a significant improvement in roll
when compared to the monohull designs. This
will significantly improve the working window
should a deteriorating weather situation occur.
A key criterion for successful well intervention is heave at the moonpool in the working
Physical tank testing was carried out to provide

data and insight into the hull form behavior, and
for comparison with the numerical model.
condition. Data from the tests forecast the

heave at less than 2 m (6.6 ft) at center of gravity. This works out as a percentage of length as
being 0.024%, which is well within the reported
criteria. The vessel complies with, and in most
cases exceeds, the recommendations of Project
Demo 2000s report on light well intervention
from a monohull vessel using subsea wireline.
The design is highly complementary to the
DP3 concept, with twin engine rooms separated
by full hull width rather than single bulkhead.
The machinery spaces are positioned in each
lower hull, providing significant continuity in the
event of a hull or space damage. Fuel-oil tanks
are either built in (giving double skin protection
aligned to the inner side of the lower hulls) or are
located in the main body of the vessel (reducing
exposure to impact or grounding damage).
International Pipe Line & Offshore

Contractors Association
IPLOCAs mission is to provide value to members through a forum for sharing ideas,
engaging the industry and its stakeholders, facilitating business opportunities and
promoting the highest standards in the pipeline industry.
!"
#$%&'*+
/5+'*+
5:<=+
Visit www.iploca.com for more information on membership
International Pipe Line & Offshore

Contractors Association
+$>+
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Virtual flow metering improves field data

Efficient monitoring, better field management among the benefits
early 10 years ago, BP launched

its Field of the Future program
to bring to reality the aspiration of
safely operating assets at the technical limit of efficiency, recovery, and
cost. Most of the technologies developed
under the program are digital in nature and
focus on enhanced surveillance, alerts, and
control. The intention was not only to create
a portfolio of technologies, but also to advance their deployment across most of the
companys operated fields.
One such technology which has been
deployed is the Integrated Surveillance Information System (ISIS). This is a browseraccessed online application for the surveillance of entire subsurface systems. A core
module integrated with other surveillance
tools within ISIS is the Rate&Phase virtual
flow metering (VFM) system.
The VFM system estimates the production rates of individual wells using hydraulic
models and requires only the instrumentation typically installed on new wells. It
enhances surveillance and understanding,
making operations safer, increasing production, improving reservoir management, and
highlighting opportunities.
Currently more than 300 producer and
injector wells in 20 assets across four continents, from the UK North Sea to Angola,
and the Gulf of Mexico to Indonesia, have
the VFM system. These have been deployed
in the past five years and so far have produced far in excess of 10 million well rate
estimates. Preparations are on track for the
system to monitor first oil of two fields expected to start-up in 2012.
The benefits of the VFM system include:
The availability of well production rate
estimates in near real time allows better understanding of changes to well
performance and assists in production
optimization
Daily production reconciliation factors
typically are closer to unity than previously, and less effort is required to compute them
Pressure transient analysis can more
accurately estimate inflow performance
parameters such as skin because the
well rates are known prior to shut-in.
Engineers can be confident that operation is within equipment integrity limits
because of the high-quality rate estimates
Richard Heddle
John Foot
Hugh Rees
BP
Schematic of a well showing instrumentation

and the different physical models used by BP
ISIS Rate&Phase to estimate production rates.
The reliability and consistency of the

VFM estimates can alert to inaccurate
measurements
Well testing can focus on wells where
performance has changed to reduce
both risk and production deferral
Reservoir management benefits from
more accurate allocation of production
because this yields improved reservoir
simulation models.
The system applies exactly the same
procedures that an engineer would follow
when calculating rates manually, and uses
the same modelling as other petroleum engineering activities within the company, and
can be verified manually. The results have
been excellent.
Going with the flow

The Rate&Phase VFM system is based on
hydraulic models calibrated to past production data. The oil or gas rate is computed so as
to honor both the physics and the conditions
measured across the well. The components
of the well model represent the inflow from
the reservoir, flow in the tubing, and flow
through the choke. Rate&Phase requires no
added instruments beyond those routinely

installed on new wells. The system applies to
oil, gas and retrograde condensate producer
wells, and water and gas injector wells.
Hydraulic well models based on the physics of multiphase flow and calibrated to
actual operating data often can extrapolate
beyond the envelope of past conditions than
systems based on statistical functions generated from operating data.
Where sufficient measurements are available, it is possible to combine the separate
model components. Thus, they can, for example, not only infer multiple possible oil rates
for the well, but also infer other operating or
performance factors such as a phase parameter (watercut or gas-to-oil-ratio [GOR]) and/
or a reservoir performance parameter (reservoir pressure or productivity index/skin).
Where instrumentation is lacking, the system may only be able to determine the oil or
gas rate and the quality of the estimates may
decline. Innovative multivariable root-finding
schemes have been applied to locate solutions quickly and to handle discontinuities.
As an example, the procedure applied to
an oil producer well with known watercut
but unknown GOR and reservoir pressure
would be to use the tubing model to deduce
the oil, gas, and water rates from the change
in pressure and temperature in the tubing.
The rate can be confirmed using the choke
model and then the current reservoir pressure to be estimated by the inflow model
(assuming an unchanging mechanical skin).
Model calibration
The system is based on models which incorporate multiphase flow correlations. These
require routine revalidation and recalibration
when conditions change significantly, or well
performance changes. This requires measurement of the oil, gas and water production rates,
and so it is necessary to be able to perform
this measurement. Typically this requires that
the well be routed to a test separator or a multiphase flow meter for a period of time every
month or so.
The VFM is often required to estimate
rates over a range that extends from near
shut-in to maximum flow. Experience shows
that the models are only accurate over such
a wide range of conditions if data is obtained
from multiple tests. The factors commonly
adjusted within the models to calibrate the
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sis, and for access by any other modeling

and reporting systems.
The Rate&Phase Web interface permits
remote configuration and management. The
system is designed to recover automatically
from any exception because it uses modeling software not originally designed for unattended use on servers.
Gulf of Mexico success
(Above) Comparison of Rate&Phase VFM results with the measured export rate for a field in the Gulf
of Mexico. (Below) The VFM estimated daily pre-reconciliation oil production (in green) for one Gulf
of Mexico field over a 12-month period is compared with the multiphase flowmeter measures (in
red). The reconciliation usually was between 0.95 and 1.05, and rarely more than 0.90 or 1.10.
In normal operation, the accuracy of production allocation is quantified by a reconciliation factor which is the comparison of the
total flow rate from all wells with the fiscal/
export flow meters. Without a VFM system,
many assets struggle to maintain reconciliation errors less than 10%. Assets with ISIS
Rate&Phase typically achieve better than 5%.
The reliability and quality of the estimates
allows assets to control well flow rates to
minimize vibration and erosion on subsea
pipelines and risers. Others are able to minimize the risk of damage to sand screens because the flux through cased and perforated
completions is continuously estimated.
Accuracy in Africa
well model are the choke performance curve,

tubing friction, and hydrostatic coefficients
and the inflow productivity index.
Streamlined system
ISIS provides a browser-accessible interface to most of the subsurface sensor data
and surveillance information engineers require to manage the fields. Trends, tables,
and the process schematics are pre-configured and customisable to provide rapid access to relevant information, while an events
and alerts management system provides
24/7 monitoring of key parameters.
Modules integrated with the Rate&Phase
VFM system within ISIS include those to perform pressure transient analysis, manage well
testing, and monitor well integrity. Operation
of the Rate&Phase and other modules are
computationally intensive, and so a service ori-
entated architecture (SOA) has been adopted.

ISIS handles all the data required by the
VFM and calls several times an hour for rate
estimation for all online wells. A configurable rule-based system within ISIS selects a
composite rate from the values computed
by the hydraulic models. Then, starting at
the well rates, ISIS computes the flow along
all flowpaths (pipelines, headers, risers, etc.)
through to the separator. Finally, the well
and flowpath rates are reconciled against all
meters in the system to minimize errors and
to provide a final field production allocation.
The VFM also calculates other parameters valuable in integrity monitoring such
as velocities in the tubing and bottom hole
pressure (with correction for friction and
hydrostatics below the downhole gauge). All
calculation results are stored in the production historian for offline trending and analy-
The absolute accuracy of the ISIS Rate&Phase

flow estimates for individual wells has been assessed by comparison with flow meter measurements. The excellent agreement over a range of
conditions is typical of many wells. (The relevant
periods when the well was routed to the seabed
multi-phase flow meter [MPFM] are those with
the pale background.)
The VFM system has identified two wells
in Africa where the GOR or watercut change
significantly after start-up. The wells are
instrumented with working pressure and
temperature sensors downhole and at the
wellhead. The data shows how closely the
estimated phase parameters match the measured values for periods after start-up. The
good agreement has been seen on numerous recent start-ups of these wells.
Conclusion
ISIS and the Rate&Phase VFM system are
deployed across BP-operated assets including
many major oil and gas fields. Benefits arise
from the ability to efficiently monitor well stock,
better manage fields, and more accurately allocate production. Production gains come by
operating the assets closer to constraints with
confidence in the flow rate estimation.
Rate&Phase exploits commonly used modeling, is designed to be easy to deploy/configure, and integrates with other surveillance
tools. Acceptance of the system has been hastened because it is not regarded as a black
box and all results can be reproduced manually offline. Current production and performance information is readily available and
changes over time can be easily trended.
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SUBSEA
Reviewing the basics

of subsea pumping systems
ow much is enough? This is a difficult question to answer, regardless

of the subject at hand. In the case of
the upstream offshore oil and gas industry, pressure is often the subject,
as it is the motive force behind the flow of
hydrocarbons. So, how much pressure is
enough to warrant full-scale development of
a discovered reservoir? While each prospect
is unique, and the ever-changing price of oil
will continue to impact decisions on field viability, the advent of subsea pumping technology is changing the answer to that question.
Subsea pumps can be used to raise the
rate of recovery, extend the duration of the
peak production plateau, and reduce the final abandonment pressure, increasing the
total amount of fluids recovered from the
reservoir. They can make marginal pressure
fields viable and can extend the useful life of
existing brownfields, while also permitting
tiebacks from longer distances or greater
depths than would otherwise be impossible.
System configurations
Subsea pumps can be used to boost flow
from an individual well, from multiple wells
downstream of a drill centers gathering
manifold, or from an entire field along a tieback flowline or within a riser. Pumps may be
combined in parallel to improve total flow or
in series to improve the overall pressure increase. The number of pumps and location(s)
selected will depend on the specifics of the
field and the type of pump(s) employed.
Historically, subsea pumps have been
used to boost the entire production stream,
generally multiphase mixtures of oil, gas,
and water. In recent years, however, subsea
pumps have been used in conjunction with
subsea separation. When a subsea separation system removes the vapor components
from the liquids, the pump provides boosting of the liquid components of the stream
through a liquids-only flowline, with the vapor directed to a gas-only flowline. The separation process significantly reduces the risk
of a hydrate plug forming in the flowline, but
also reduces the energy available to transport the liquids to the surface. Therefore,
subsea pumps are needed to provide the
boost required to keep the liquids flowing
back to the host facility.
Subsea pumps have also been deployed to
increase recovery from a reservoir by add-
Mac McKee
INTECSEA
ing pressure to the reservoir itself, rather
than to the fluids produced from it. Subsea
raw seawater injection systems use a pump
to draw seawater through coarse filters for
removal of large particulate matter, and then
inject the filtered water directly into an injection well or wells. This provides pressure
support to the reservoir as its hydrocarbons
are removed.
System components
The primary components of a pumping
system include equipment for power generation, power conditioning and control, and
power transmission, as well as a retrievable
pump unit and pump base skid, which ties
into the production flowline system.
Topside power is conditioned by one or
more variable frequency drives, or VFDs, to
maintain the pump at a constant, safe operating speed despite the continuously changing density of multiphase well fluids flowing
through the pump. While all currently installed subsea pumps utilize VFDs for speed
control, variable speed hydraulic couplers
mounted between the pump motor and the
pump input shaft are an emerging technology that could one day replace VFDs and allow for fixed frequency power from the surface. This type of coupler has the additional
benefit of permitting positive displacement
pumps to stall at a given pressure, removing
the risk of overpressure usually associated
with that particular pump design.
As with a typical subsea system, topsides
power is transmitted to the pump via an umbilical. Generally, the pump umbilical will be
separate from any other umbilical used in the
subsea development. In addition to power conductors, the pump umbilical will contain wires
or optical fibers for transmitting control and
data signals to and from the pump, tubes for
delivery of lubricating and cooling fluid, and
possibly tubes for delivery of methanol or
other chemicals that may be required for the
operation and maintenance of the pump(s) or
base skid. Depending on the voltage and power requirements and the distance between the
VFD and the pump, a subsea transformer may
be needed as well, which can be costly. However, at this point, the power umbilical may very
well be the most expensive component in the

pump system.
Rotating equipment, whether subsea or
topsides, has maintenance requirements,
and subsea pumps are no exception. Therefore, pump skids are typically designed in
two parts: a base skid which includes the tiein to the production flowline and manifold
valving for routing production fluids through
or around the pump(s); and the pump(s) in
retrievable frames. With assistance from
a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, each
pump can be disconnected and retrieved
from the base skid for maintenance work.
Subsea pumps are often included in the
overall system with a bypass to keep flow
from stopping during maintenance or other
downtime of the pump.
Latest trends
Subsea pumps have been serving the
offshore industry for nearly two decades.
As the quest for recoverable reserves extends ever outwards to deeper waters and
longer tiebacks, subsea pumping and other
increased oil recovery technologies will one
day take their place in the base case scenarios of offshore developments. They will
no longer be considered risky or merely
planned for as future possibilities by adding extra space on the host facility and extra
hubs on the seafloor. In preparation for that
day, the industry must continue to expand
its knowledge and push the envelope of
technology development.
Subsea pumping poster

This issue of Offshore also contains the
2012 Worldwide Survey of Subsea Pumping
Systems. The primary goals of this poster are
to chronicle the development and developers
of subsea pumping systems and associated
equipment by providing a worldwide look
at the status of the technologies. The poster
also documents the continued commitment
of oil companies to the application of these
technologies. This is the fifth iteration of this
poster in as many years. This year, the focus
has been narrowed to target liquid boosting systems. For online access to view and
___
download all five posters, please visit www.
offshore-mag.com/maps-posters.
Editors note: To continue this conversation, please
email INTECSEA at sspump@intecsea.com.
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__________
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_____
___
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_______
____________
________
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______
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FLOWLINES & PIPELINES
Immersion ultrasonic testing

offers inspection alternative
Sander van Nieuwenhuijzen
Exova
Mark Seiwald
John OBrien
Chevron Energy Technology Co.
he application of automated ultrasonic testing (AUT) for the

construction examination of pipeline girth welds has grown
dramatically in the last decade. The use of AUT has primarily been driven by the need to identify critical lack of fusion
flaws in narrow-gap, shallow-angle groove welds, difficult to
detect with radiographic (RT) methods.
In addition, the adoption of fracture mechanics-based acceptance criteria has created a need to accurately determine the size of these flaws
and the potential AUT inaccuracy around this.
The process of qualifying AUT system performance is well documented in numerous publications. For offshore pipeline construction, this process is outlined in Det Norske Veritas (DNV) documents OS-FS 101 and
RP 118. However, the application of immersion ultrasonic testing (IUT) is
not as well covered as many other components of the process.
The IUT technique is something that has been recently introduced by
Exova, as part of the AUT validation procedure for girth weld inspection.
The testing service is particularly relevant for discovering smaller defects as a result of the high accuracy robotics and enhanced immersive
testing environment.
An increased number of defects can be identified with this service.
These include cracking, porosity, incomplete penetration, inclusions,
lack of sidewall fusion, and related defects that can compromise the
pipelines girth weld strength.
It is vital that any defect in the welds are detected, accurately located,
sized and reported quickly. It was for these reasons that Chevron began
working with Exova to ensure enhanced inspection detection and sizing capabilities. The new technology delivers confidence that the pipeline welds are free from critical defects.
The IUT technology can be placed between the examination of deliberately flaw-seeded test welds examined by the AUT system under
qualification; complementary non-destructive examination (NDE) techniques such as RT; and physical sectioning of the known flaws.
This whole process can be time consuming and expensive, and will
often become a critical path activity during pipeline design and qualification. In the past, lack of diligence in the process, unexpected results
and limited availability of qualified facilities often led to project delays;
or even the need to waive critical tasks (such as the IUT) in order to
meet construction timelines.
As IUT has been around for decades and is widely used for aerospace forgings and other applications, it was surprising that so few facilities were in a position to offer this particular service to an acceptable
technical standard for the offshore market.
Exova has extensive IUT experience throughout the world, meeting
the requirements for these industries. There are however some oil and
gas requirements that are unique for this sector. It was clear that this
was perceived as a niche requirement, and that few saw it as a business
opportunity.
Additionally, there seems to be a lack of clarity about the role IUT
plays in the AUT qualification process, and it almost seems that some
people fear that the differences between the two ultrasonic approaches
will diminish the accepted performance of AUT in some manner. We
see IUT as filling two functions:
It confirms the length of the flaws for sectioning, and provides a
second data point to ensure sectioning takes space in the correct
locations
(Left) A carbon steel girth weld,

before being scanned by the IUT
machine. (Right) An IUT C-scan of
the carbon steel girth weld.
Standards talk about sectioning white space areas where no AUT

calls have taken place to validate detection performance. The IUT approach allows us to see any potential flaws that may not be detected
by the AUT, and section those areas so that the pipeline operator can
better understand what may be missed (and left) in constructed girth
welds by any particular AUT system.
As a global operator, Chevron needed to identify more qualified
assets around the world to ensure that it could access the services it
needed. Exova as a global provider of independent laboratory services
was already engaged with the operator at multiple locations, providing
flaw sectioning and reporting services.
Exova also had IUT experience related to other industries and applications. It made sense for the parties to work together to develop,
qualify and establish available IUT facilities at multiple locations close
to where a lot of pipeline qualification work was taking place.
Work initially began in the Netherlands and test rings were submitted for examination.
Exova took the Chevron requirements and performed a structured
qualification effort, initially for carbon steel pipe and welds. This effort resulted in a standardized and qualified procedure that meets the
Chevron requirements; but, more importantly, serves the functionality
required of the AUT qualification process.
In addition to the base qualification, time and effort was allocated to
experimenting with ring thickness to demonstrate that this does not
have the impact in sensitivity that many believe. A calibration process
was also designed that constructs signal characteristics and thresholds
closely mirroring those used in the AUT system to ensure as near possible like-for-like examination conditions.
The available procedure can be applied for any kind of girth weld diameter and wall thickness as well as any material, carbon steel or CRAs.
Once the facility in the Netherlands was qualified, the standardized
qualification approach was transferred to the Exova Houston laboratory
and repeated.
The actual IUT hardware was not standardized, since its qualified
performance allows flexibility for different global facilities to access
suppliers that may be closer to local markets. This will be the process
as the company seeks to qualify additional facilities in Singapore and
elsewhere. It has dedicated the Spijkenisse, Netherlands, facility as
the development center for future procedures and AUT validation
expertise.
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19 - 21 March 2013
International Conference Centre, Accra, Ghana
www.offshorewestafrica.com
DEEPWATER DISCOVERIES
EMERGING
OPPORTUNITIES
CALL FOR PAPERS
DEADLINE: 8 MAY 2012
Owned & Produced by:
Presented by:
Supporting Publication:
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ABOUT OFFSHORE WEST AFRICA

Offshore West Africa is now in its 17th year of providing a platform for technology
exchange and new business development, Offshore West Africa is the regions premier
technical forum focused exclusively on West Africas offshore Oil and Gas market.
Ghana is recognized as one of the most promising exploration regions within West Africa,

Deepwater Discoveries, Emerging Opportunities.

!
"

international oil companies that are familiar with the outstanding conferences held by
PennWell worldwide.
Offshore West Africa, is sponsored by Offshore Magazine and Oil & Gas Journal, is the
only conference and exhibition dedicated to the offshore oil & gas industry in the region,

#$
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and exhibition.
Call for Papers

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around the world.
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*12You may submit your abstract online at: www.offshorewestafrica.com
Abstract submittal deadline: 8 May 2012
Who will be your audience?

Industry professionals, experts, engineering management, engineers, operations
management, operations and maintenance from the oil and gas industries, including:
34
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SUBMITTAL GUIDELINES
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TECHNICAL FOCUS AREAS
Your abstract should address one or more of the following areas:
Asset Integrity
Hydrate Inhibitors
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Pipe in Pipe
Subsea Monitoring
Floating Production Systems
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Subsea Technology
Flow Assurance
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Subsea Trees, Manifolds & Templates
Flowlines & Pipelines
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Production Optimization
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Geosteering
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High Temperature, High Pressure Drilling
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Abstract submittal deadline: 8 May 2012
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19 - 21 March 2013
International Conference Centre, Accra, Ghana
CONTACTS
Marketing Manager
<+

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Exhibit and Sponsorship Sales

(Nigeria)
Dele Olaoye
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Exhibit and Sponsorship Sales (South East Asia)

Michael Yee
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION COMPLETE AND FAX BACK TO:

+ 44 (0) 1992 656 700
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moody gardens hotel & convention center | galveston, tx | november 6-8, 2012
www.deepwateroperations.com
________________________
The Deepwater Operations Conference and Exhibition is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
The event will continue the tradition of excellence in addressing operational challenges involved in
developing deepwater resources. We will return to the Moody Gardens Hotel and Convention Center
on November 6 8, 2012 in Galveston, Texas.
Challenges in deepwater production are complex and command our attention to develop solutions that
are economical and long-term. The Deepwater Operations Conference and Exhibition provides a unique
experience for attendees and exhibitors to share, learn and connect in a forum dedicated to addressing
these challenges. We hope you will join us in Galveston.
FOLLOW US ON
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GO TO
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_______________________
TO SIGN UP TODAY!
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BUSINESS BRIEFS
People
Petrobras board of directors has elected
Maria das Graas Silva Foster as CEO, succeeding Jos Sergio Gabrielli de Azevedo.
RWE Dea AG has appointed Dirk Warzecha as a member of the executive board,
effective on Nov. 1, 2012. He will take over as
COO on Jan. 1, 2013.
Dragon oil has named Ali Al Hauwaj exploration manager.
S2S IMI Group has appointed Robert Savarese as director of global business development to help establish and drive the expansion
of its new engineering solutions division.
Duncan Junor and Steve Roberts have
been elected as chair and vice chair, respectively, to the Energistics board of directors.
Zachary Nagle has joined KBR as VP,
investor relations and communications.
Forum Subsea Technologies DPS Offshore
group has appointed Colin Erskine as global
business director, and Mike Grubb as technical manager.
Jan Grimnes has joined the board of ffA as
a non-executive director.
Noble Corp. has named Bernie G. Wolford
senior VP-operations.
S2S has appointed Graham Walsh as group
human resources director.
BG Group has appointed Vivienne Cox as a
non-executive director.
Schilling Robotics has appointed George
Shirreffs as VP of customer service.
Mike Eyre has joined Fugro-Jason as
global sales manager.
OPITO International
has appointed Albert
Skiba as vice president
for the Gulf of Mexico.
Paul Lewis has
joined Hoover Container
Solutions as president
and COO.
Siemens Energy has
appointed Adil Toubia
Lewis
as CEO of the oil and
gas division.
OMV has appointed Hans-Peter Floren
as an executive board member for gas and
power.
Penspen Group has appointed Ibrahim
Washash as regional manager of integrity
services in the Middle East.
Reservoir Groups
surface logging business, Empirica, has
named Etienne Roux
managing director.
Sembcorp Marine
has appointed Ajaib
Haridass as chairman of
the Nominating Committee, and a member of the
Roux
Executive Resource and
Compensation Committee.
Dag W. Reynolds has resigned as executive VP sales and business development of
Electromagnetic Geoservices ASA. Dave Ridyard will serve as acting executive VP sales
and business development until a permanent
replacement is found.
Murphy Oil Corp. has appointed Bill
Stobaugh as executive VP, corporate planning
and business development, and Tom Mireles
as vice president, corporate planning and business development.
Fluor Corp. has
elected CEO David T.
Seaton as the chairman
of the board of directors.
Seadrills CFO Esa
Ikheimonen has decided to leave the company
during the second half of
2012. The company has
Seaton
restructured the CFO
role into two and created
a new role of chief accounting officer (CAO).
Robert Hingley-Wilson has been named
CAO and senior vice president, and Magnus
Lundetr as CFO and senior vice president.
Xodus Group has appointed Edward van
Kersbergen as executive chairman.
OEG Offshore has
appointed Tom Boyle as
group finance director.
Larraine Boorman
has been named UK
managing director of
OPITO.
Clariant Oil Services
Boorman
has named Graham
Gammack head of
marketing.
Reservoir Group has
appointed Wade McCutcheon as COO.
Glacier Energy
Services has named
Sandy Smart as rental
and service director, and
Mark Currie as operations director.
McCutcheon
Hoover has appointed
Al Kibbe as managerlarge format tanks.
Dr. Marianne Rauch-Davies has joined
Geomage Ltd. as VP of applied technology.
The Womens Energy Network has elected
Lori McDowell as president for a one-year
term.
Robert S. Shaw has notified Transocean of
his resignation as VP, controller and principal
accounting officer.
John Andrew Hagg, Steven W. Nance
and Murray D. Smith have been elected to
the Williams board of directors.
Hardy Oil and Gas has appointed Alasdair
Locke as an independent non-executive chairman.

Jon D. Ryan has been named president of
Wood Energy Group.
TWMA has appointed Rob ONeill as sales
director for the Americas, Norway, Middle
East and North Africa.
SBM Offshore N.V. CFO Mark Miles will
not stand for re-election on May 16, 2012.
Faroe Petroleum has appointed Paul
Willcocks as business development manager,
Ian Wilson as UK exploration manager, and
Bjrn Berntsen as Norway asset manager.
Nautronix has named Alessandra Bunel as
business development manager for the Brazilian region.
Captain Tim
Glasspool has been
appointed co-chairman
of the Step Change
in Safetys Helicopter
Safety Steering Group.
Jeffrey A. Gorski has
joined Tidewater as a
senior VP.
Glasspool
Haakon Andersen
and Mike Salter have
been appointed to the
Ferguson Group board
of directors.
Veripos has appointed
Richard Turner as
global business development manager.
Mobilarm Ltd. has appointed David Marshall
Salter
to its board of directors.
Mermaid Maritime
has appointed Bruce M.
Gemmell as CEO.
Patrick Phelan has
been appointed managing director of Aquaterra
Energy Ltd.
Total S.A. has appointed Grard Lamarche
as director. He has also
been appointed to the
Lehtonen
Audit Committee and
the Strategy Committee.
Pasi Lehtonen has
been appointed senior
VP of Cargotecs offshore business segment.
Petrofac has appointed Ren Mdori as
a non-executive director,
and Marwan Chedid as
an executive director on
Tuppen
the board.
Wild Well Control has named James
Tuppen as manager, international well control
operations.
GeoResources has appointed Robert J.
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BUSINESS BRIEFS
Anderson as COO (Northern Division), and

Timothy D. Merrifield as executive VPgeology and geophysics.
CSA International has
appointed Gordon Stevens as general manager
of the STEP (Scientific
Tools and Equipment
Pool) Program.
Flowserve Corp. has
appointed Thomas L.
Pajonas as COO.
Phillips 66, the future
Stevens
independent downstream company, has appointed C.C. (Clayton)
Reasor as VP of investor
relations, strategy and
corporate affairs. The
new ConocoPhillips, an
independent, pure-play
exploration and production company, has hired
Ellen R. DeSanctis as
Tadic
VP of investor relations.
Crosco Integrated
Drilling & Well Services Co. has appointed
Tomislav Tadic as CFO
and a board member.
Peter Szekely, Croscos
director of corporate
services, was also added
to the board.
Kevin Reinhart has
Szekely
been appointed interim
president and CEO of
Nexen.
NAVTOR has appointed Tor A. Svanes as
managing director.
IHS has named Arshad Matin executive VP.
Company News
Star Information Systems has established
a Brazilian base in Rio de Janeiro.
KBR has established a new entity to perform general engineering and project management services under the Saudi Aramco GES+
initiative.
Baker Hughes has broadened its pipeline
service portfolio to include circumferential
magnetic flux leakage inspection technology.
Peak Well Systems has opened its first
Malaysian office in Kuala Lumpur.
Schlumberger has made available its
new PressureXpress-HT reservoir pressure
service and MDT Forte-HT high-temperature
formation sampling and pressure system.
Shell Brasil received the Excellence in
Project Integration Award at the International
Petroleum Technology Conference 2011 in
Bangkok. The Award was in recognition of the
achievements made by Shell Brasils BC-10
Parque das Conchas team, in successfully
managing and directing an integrated oil and

gas project from discovery to production, using breakthrough technology solutions.
EPC Offshore has announced plans to
expand into the contracts and procurement
sector for the North Sea oil and gas industry.
Expro has opened an operations base in
Paradise, Newfoundland, Canada, that will
support the provision of well testing, subsea,
and downhole video services.
Advanced Maritime Transports has
acquired Port Logistics, a Brazilian maritime
support logistics agency.
Oilennium Ltd. has been awarded a
contract by EnerMech to provide an online
learning management system for its staff and
clients.
Keppel Offshore & Marine Technology Centre and ConocoPhillips are jointly
designing a jackup capable of drilling in Arctic
Sea ice regions.
SandRidge Energy has entered into an
agreement to acquire Dynamic Offshore
Resources for an aggregate consideration of
$1.275 billion including about $680 million in
cash and about 74 million shares of SandRidge
common stock valued at $8.02 per share.
NKT Holding A/S and Subsea 7 S.A.
have agreed to sell NKT Flexibles to National
Oilwell Varco for DKK 3.8 billion ($669 million). Since 1999, NKT Flexibles has operated
as a joint venture between NKT Holding A/S
(51%) and Subsea 7 S.A. (49%).
Aker Solutions has acquired Norwegian
engineering company Sandnessjen Engineering.
The Weir Group has agreed to acquire
Novatech LLC for $176 million (113 million)
in cash.
Petroleum Development Oman has
joined ITF, the UK-based technology facilitator for the global oil and gas industry.
Norwegian E&P independent Spring Energy has signed a framework contract under
which Acona will become its emergency
preparedness services provider.
Tenaris and CRC-Evans have agreed to
offer an integral package of tubular line pipe
and welding technologies directed at offshore
operations.
Schilling Robotics has opened a service
and support operations facility on the FMC
Technologies campus in Maca, Brazil.
TAM International has announced plans
to construct a new manufacturing facility in
Houston.
Collabro has partnered with West Atlantic
Energy Nigeria Ltd. to supply software and
support services to the Nigerian government,
as part of a safety initiative for the countrys
offshore workers. The multi-million pound
contract will initially run for five years and will
see Collabro provide Vantage POB software
and associated support services.
Delta Rigging & Tools has been named

Limpet Technologys primary distributor in
North America and Australia.
Aubin and Nortech have formed a strategic partnership in Brazil.
ASCO has opened a new oil and gas logistics hub in Singapore.
Norbar Torque Tools India Pvt. Ltd. has
opened in Mumbai.
OSX was awarded the Oil & Gas Deal of the
Year Americas, at the Project Finance International Awards for raising an $850-million loan
for the construction and implementation of the
FPSO OSX-2.
3sun Group has expanded with the launch
of a new inspection division, 3sun Inspection
Services.
Ramboll Oil & Gas has won a contract
to provide consultancy services offshore
northeast Qatar.
Maersk Oil has contracted Expro for surface well testing, clean-up services, and large
bore subsea safety systems for drilling rigs
operating in the UK North Sea. The three-year
contract, with a possible two-year extension, is
valued at $5 million.
Statoil has acquired 30.625% working interest in Cairn Energys Pitu license in Baffin
Bay offshore western Greenland.
Six national oil and gas trade associations
are strengthening their emergency response
arrangements for offshore northwest Europe.
Operators Cooperative Emergency
Services is a joint declaration among the
associations of the UK, Norway, Denmark, the
Netherlands, Germany, and the Irish Republic
that allows operating companies to call on
each other for support in emergency situations, regardless of national boundaries.
Tullow Oil has signed a non-binding
memorandum of understanding with Shell to
collaborate in frontier exploration in selected
regions and geological plays around the
Atlantic basin.
CGGVeritas subsidiary Sercel has acquired
the assets of Geophysical Research Co.
LLC.
Swire Oilfield Services has established
an Asia-Pacific regional headquarters in
Singapore.
PTTEP has agreed to reduce its interest
in three deepwater exploration blocks in the
Makassar Strait offshore Indonesia. Total is
the beneficiary. The farm-out involves dilution
of PTTEPs 33% share in South Mandar block,
10% in Sadang block and 10% in South Sageri
block.
Baker Hughes is the first integrated
oilfield service company to receive full accreditation of its Competence Management
Program from the International Association
of Drilling Contractors.
ReThink Energy has opened its first North
American office in Houston.
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C L A S S I F I E D A D V E RT I S I N G
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fax your ad for a quote (918) 832-9201. E-mail: glendah@pennwell.com
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ADVERTISERS INDEX
SALES OFFICES
PENNWELL PETROLEUM GROUP
1455 West Loop South, Suite 400, Houston, TX 77027
PHONE +1 713 621 9720 FAX +1 713 963 6228
David Davis (Worldwide Sales Manager)
davidd@pennwell.com
Mitch Duffy (Regional Sales Manager)
mitchd@pennwell.com
Glenda Harp (Classified Sales) glendah@pennwell.com
Aker Solutions ........................................21

www.akersolutions.com/subsea
ASME/UH Crawfish Boil ...........................8
National Oilwell Varco.............................23

www.nov.com/qualitytubing
Newpark Drilling Fluids. ......................... 11
www.newparkdf.com/evolution
GREATER HOUSTON AREA, TX

David Davis davidd@pennwell.com
Brunswick Commercial & Government

Products ..................................................14
brunswickcgp.com
USA CANADA
Mitch Duffy mitchd@pennwell.com
Cameron ....................................................9
www.c-a-m.com/PureMEG
Cameron ..................................................29
www.c-a-m.com/mars
Construct AS ........................................... 17
www.Construct.mr.no
Cudd Energy Services ...........................55
www.cudd.com
Parker Hannifin..........................................3
www.parker.com
Parker Hannifin........................................56
www.parkerepd.com
PennWell
Deep Offshore Technology
Conference & Exhibition ............. 17, 47
Deepwater Operations
Conference & Exhibition ...................67
www.deepwateroperations.com
Offshore Group - Reprints ................32
UNITED KINGDOM SCANDINAVIA

THE NETHERLANDS
9 Tarragon Rd.
Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom ME16 OUR
PHONE +44 1622 721222 FAX +44 1622 721333
Roger Kingswell rogerk@pennwell.com
FRANCE BELGIUM PORTUGAL
SPAIN SOUTH SWITZERLAND MONACO
NORTH AFRICA
Prominter
8 alle des Hrons, 78400 Chatou, France
PHONE +33 (0) 1 3071 1119 FAX +33 (0) 1 3071 1119
Daniel Bernard danielb@pennwell.com
GERMANY NORTH SWITZERLAND
AUSTRIA EASTERN EUROPE
RUSSIA FORMER SOVIET UNION BALTIC
EURASIA
Sicking Industrial Marketing, Kurt-Schumacher-Str. 16
59872 Freienohl, Germany
PHONE +49 (0) 2903 3385 70 FAX +49 (0) 2903 3385 82
Andreas Sicking wilhelms@pennwell.com
D
Delta Rigging & Tools ............................. 19
www.deltarigging.com
DEVIN International ................................57
www.DevinDevin.com/motion
Dril-Quip ....................................................1
www.dril-quip.com
ITALY
SILVERA MEDIAREP
Viale Monza, 24 - 20127 Milano, Italy
PHONE +39 (02) 28 46716 FAX +39 (02) 28 93849
Ferruccio Silvera info@silvera.it
FMC Technologies ................................. C4

www.fmctechnologies.com
Frank Mohn AS ..........................................7
www.framo.com
BRAZIL / SOUTH AMERICA

Smartpublishing Ltd/ OGJLA Pennwell Brazil
HEADQUARTERS: Rua Raimundo Chaves 2182, L5
Natal RN 59064-390, BRAZIL
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Rio de Janeiro RJ 20024-900, BRAZIL
PHONE +55 (21) 2533 5703 or +55 (21) 3084 5384
FAX +55 (21) 2533 4593
Jean-Paul Prates adm@pennwell.com.br
JAPAN
ICS Convention Design, Inc.
6F Chiyoda Bldg., 1-5-18 Sarugakucho
Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 101-8449, Japan
PHONE +81 3 3219 3641 FAX +81 3 3219 3628
Manami Konishi konishi-manami@ics-inc.co.jp
GE Energy ...............................................31
ge-energy.com/electrifyingchange
I
INTECSEA ...............................................27
www.intecsea.com/careers
Intermoor .................................................53
www.intermoor.com/mooring
IPLOCA ....................................................58
www.iploca.com
J
SINGAPORE
19 Tanglin Road #05-20 Tanglin Shopping Center
Singapore 247909
PHONE +65 9616 8080 FAX +65 6734 0655
Michael Yee yfyee@singnet.com.sg
INDIA
Interads Ltd., A-113, Shivalik, New Delhi 110 017
PHONE +91 11 628 3018 FAX +91 11 622 8928
Rajan Sharma rajan@interadsindia.com
Jumbo Offshore ...................................... 15

www.jumbo-offshore.nl
Offshore Technology
Conference 2012. ....................................52
www.otcnet.org/2012
Offshore Group - Webcasts...............45

www.offshore-mag.com/webcasts
Offshore West Africa
Conference & Exhibition ............. 63-66
Topsides, Platforms, & Hulls
Conference & Exhibition ...................49
www.TopsidesEvent.com
PGS Exploration (UK) Ltd. .....................25
www.pgs.com
POLARCUS ............................................ C3
www.polarcus.com
PWP Global ............................................. 13
www.pwpglobal.com
S
Schlumberger ........................................ C2
www.slb.com
Sercel .......................................................43
www.sercel.com
W
Weatherford...........................................4, 5
weatherford.com
The index of page numbers is provided as a

service. The publisher does not assume any
liability for error or omission.
M
McPhar International .............................. 16
www.mcpharinternational.com
MECO .......................................................33
www.MECO.com
NIGERIA/WEST AFRICA
Flat 8, 3rd floor (Oluwatobi House)
71 Allen Ave, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria
PHONE +234 805 687 2630 or +234 802 223 2864
Dele Olaoye q-she@inbox.com
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BEYOND THE HORIZON
Online resources help bridge

the knowledge and skills gap
As engineers of the baby boom generation approach retirement,
competition is increasing across the oil and gas and offshore energy
sectors to attract experienced engineers.
The problem is a significant lack of available engineers and managers in the crucial 30 to 45-year age group who are needed to take
over the reins. This is the generation who should have the desirable
skills, experience, and specialist knowledge to provide todays project team leaders. However, the recession of the 1990s and resulting cutbacks in training and development meant that the transfer of
some key competencies and specializations did not occur. In addition, many engineers have deserted the profession.
Growth across the energy sector is highlighting the challenge. A
report issued last year by OPITO and the Engineering Construction
Industry Training Board revealed an increasing demand for these
engineers due to the North Sea development. Growth in offshore
energy and nuclear power means recruiters are also fishing in the
same talent pool.
In the oil and gas sector, the average age of experienced engineers is higher than most industries. According to this report, a
contributing factor is the tendency across the industry to target experienced staff, rather than implement in-house training to develop
new entrants with the sector skills.
There is no shortage of new engineering graduates, but their
lack of employment skills and experience is deterring employers.
A study by Birmingham University shows that 44% of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics graduates are either unemployed or working in a job that does not require a degree a year after
graduation.
The challenge is to bridge the skills gap between the boomers,
their successors in the 30 to 45-year age group, graduate engineers,
and engineers coming into the sector for the first time. New tools
are needed to provide engineering teams with the resources needed
to research new disciplines, share knowledge, and improve the employability skills among graduates.
The internet is the first place most people turn to search for answers. A Google search can be a dangerous area for engineers due to
concerns for compliance with quality and safety procedures. No audit
trail and unvalidated information sources present serious problems.
Knovel was founded more than 10 years ago to provide interac-
tive and trusted technical references online so engineers can easily manipulate and incorporate graphs, equations, and tables into
their work. The company only integrates technical information from
trusted sources, professional societies and publishers, including the
IChemE, Royal Society of Chemistry, and PennWell Corp.
The adoption of trusted online engineering resources has been
strong in the oil and gas, engineering design, industrial equipment
and process industries given their global teams and multi-disciplinary research and information requirements. Knovel customers include BP, Shell, and Exxon. With the information available around
the world and around the clock, companies can be more nimble in
research and development. Moreover, with the boomer generation
retiring and leaving a larger gap than previous generations, online
resources can also help provide an accessible repository for an organizations collective knowledge.
Universities are seeking to provide a high-quality education to
their students at a time when league tables and student employability have become more important to their funding. The Deloitte report Making the Grade 2011 calls for revolutionary thinking from
universities in order to stay competitive, and recommends a more
strategic use of web-based interaction for students. Knovel is used
in more than 400 universities worldwide, including 25 in the UK,
such as Imperial College and University College London. Since the
current generation of new engineers has an affinity for using online
tools and sharing their knowledge instantly and interactively, using
online resources similar to those encountered in the industry can
help ease the training process and transition to employment.
According to a 23-year petroleum industry veteran, bridging the
engineering knowledge gap requires an individuals effort and interest in learning but most importantly availability of engineering
information on databases.
Online resources are not the sole answer to the knowledge gap
problem, but they will help engineers acquire industry knowledge
faster, so they can find their own solution.
Gary Kearns
Business Development Director

Knovel EMEA
This page reflects viewpoints on the political, economic, cultural, technological, and environmental issues that shape the future of the petroleum industry. Offshore
Magazine invites you to share your thoughts. Email your Beyond the Horizon manuscript to David Paganie at davidp@pennwell.com.
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www.polarcus.com
______________
RIGHTPLAN
TM
At Polarcus our highly trained

geoscientists specialize in survey
design and planning. Utilizing some
of the latest software modelling tools
and a wealth of experience we can
help you choose the right project

objectives, to ensure that you get the
most from your data.
Making the RIGHTCHOICES
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Totals Pazor project off Angola represents yet another rst

for FMC Technologies: Its the rst deepwater development
based on full-eld gas/liquid separation at the mudline.
Three vertical separation systems make it feasible to extract
heavy, highly viscous oil economically from deep Miocene
reservoirs. With proven subsea separation technologies, we
are pushing the limits of oil recovery in deepwater basins
around the world. And thats only the beginning.
______________________
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Contents

For navigation instructions please click here

For continuous news & analysis

East Africa deepwater

Fall 2011 Energy

For navigation instructions please click here

Whether you are modeling

DRILLING & COMPLETION

Submersible vehicle overcomes

Worldwide seismic vessel survey ....................................... 36

Optical fibers present opportunities and challenges

Virtual flow metering improves field data ..............................59

Together, we can engineer a weld-less, leak-free,

ENGINEERING YOUR SUCCESS.

COVER: As operators move into

FLOWLINES & PIPELINES

Vessels, Rigs, & Surface Systems ...... 22

1455 West Loop South, Suite 400, Houston, TX 77027 U.S.A.

VICE PRESIDENT and GROUP PUBLISHER

CHIEF EDITOR/CONFERENCE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

E. Kurt Albaugh, P.E.

New On Demand Webcasts

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Offshores Top 5 Projects of 2011

New maps, posters, & surveys

Publications Mail Agreement Number 40052420

6 Offshore March 2012 www.offshore-mag.com

David Paganie Houston

Offshore West Africa awards

Crawfish Beer and soft drinks

Proceeds go to Engineering Scholarships

Sunday, April 29 / 1-5 p.m.

Lynn Eusan Park

contact Diane Ashen, (713) 271-1983

Thank You 2011 Sponsors

ASHEN & ASSOCIATES WORLDWIDE

8 Offshore March 2012 www.offshore-mag.com

Emerging deepwater gas play

Brazilian progress report

To respond to articles in Offshore, or to offer articles for publication,

Worldwide offshore rig count & utilization rate

February 2010 January 2012

Contracted fleet utilization

East African and Indian Ocean platform expenditure

Source: Infield Systems Ltd.

This month Infield Systems looks at the offshore platform

Fleet utilization rate

% of total regional platform capex

Total regional platform capex

10 Offshore March 2012 www.offshore-mag.com

CLEANER. FASTER. SMARTER.

Chevron plans a 3D seismic survey this summer over the EL 460

Qualification testing has finished for the worlds first small-scale

Jeremy Beckman London

Total and NNPC have finally started the long-delayed second

Namibias Ministry of Mines and Energy has sanctioned BPs

12 Offshore March 2012 www.offshore-mag.com

gas from Russian onshore fields to southern

three shipments onboard heavy-lift vessels

Dragon Oil expects to employ three rigs

ITS A SECURITY PATROL BOAT,

3  4 & ()*+5

Conducting security patrols, repairing the rig, or transporting

34&()*+5

' ()*+-