Deep Water Oil Production System

Abstract

American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, Inc. Discussion of this paper is invited. Three copies of any discussion should be sent to the Society of Petroleum Engineers office. Such discussion may be presented at the above meeting and, with the paper, may be considered for publication in one of the two SPE magazines. Abstract The offshore industry is rapidly approach-a barrier that may be far more difficult to overcome than the problem of increasing water depth. The cost of installation and operation of production facilities in deep water increases at such a rate that economics rather than technologies determine the real limits. To date, substantial research has been directed toward the development of deep water production systems. Unfortunately, the production systems. Unfortunately, the resulting systems consistently fail to achieve economic acceptability. It therefore appears that the question is not "can production systems be devised for deep water locations" but rather, "can the industry afford deep water production systems". production systems".The objective of this presentation is to outline a program that meets the operational and economic limits associated with deep water drilling and production. Introduction At the present time the oil industry is entering a new phase of offshore production. The past years have seen a development of drilling and production techniques that have made possible the recovery of reserves in water depths of 300–400 ft. These reserves are being produced today by fixed platforms as well as produced today by fixed platforms as well as ocean floor installations. As production from deeper water is contemplated it becomes immediately apparent that the increase in cost for fixed structures directs attention toward alternate systems. Drilling from floating structures and completing the well with all components located on the sea floor has been common within the industry for a number of years. The full economic advantage of the ocean-floor completion has not been realized primarily because a fully integrated production system has not existed. Designers and manufacturers of subsea equipment in shallow water have in the past been confronted with a marginal advantage, if any, over platform installations. A preference on the part of operators for the more accessible and familiar equipment used on fixed platforms has also served to retard the acceptance of sea floor production equipment. With the advent of installations in deeper water the cost differentials between fixed platforms and sea floor production units become significant and greater production units become significant and greater consideration must be given to the subsea installations.