DescriptionThe application of Full Subsea Processing (FSP) to develop remotely located marginal fields in Offshore West Africa is an attractive option for breaking the techno-economic barriers which have long hindered the development of these fields. Some of the fields have remained marginal and unproduced over the years, arguably, due to incorrect estimates in recoveries and economics occasioned by erroneous estimates in basic input parameters. Therefore, the right method of application for developing marginal fields must be sought to ensure that both National and International Operating Companies partake in the development of these fields.The present paper explores the use of full subsea processing technology to develop marginal fields economically. ApplicationThe economic development of marginal fields in Offshore West Africa poses huge technology challenges. These challenges are further complicated as the field is located offshore with long step-out distance from existing processing facilities. A good number of such fields exist in Nigeria with no concrete plans in place yet to develop them due to the challenges involved.Subsea processing which has recently gained broader acceptance in the industry offers a viable and attractive method of developing such fields. Results, Observations, ConclusionsExtensive qualification of the different technologies available for carrying out FSP has been conducted and their various readiness levels determined. A systematic analysis of an existing marginal field has also been done to reveal the enormous advantages stemming from the application of FSP. Increased recovery and reduced OPEX have been established as vital incentives for developing marginal fields economically. Various methods of overcoming the long distance associated with remote fields are developed and the best method which incorporates a floating storage unit (FSU) identified. A holistic approach which considers developing a group of fields together rather than a single field at a time is adopted to develop the remote offshore marginal fields in offshore West Africa. 2 OTC 22860

The increasing world energy demands for enhanced oil and gas recovery in the offshore industry has led to new subsea technology developments with increased system functionality. Technologies such as subsea processing and instrumentations for subsea control data acquisition place a greater demand on bandwidth, power and capacity. Therefore, the legacy controls system becomes obsolete and proves unsustainable in supporting the increased functionality placed on it by the new subsea technologies. With the fast evolution of electronics, the replacement of the core components of the control system when they fail becomes difficult as they are no longer being produced or supported by the original component manufacturers (OCM). The present paper explores the different strategies in addressing obsolescence on the subsea controls system for offshore field developments.

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