Posted on 04/01/2015 4:11:54 AM PDT by thackney
Exxon Mobil Corp. said Monday it had begun producing from its Hadrian South Gulf of Mexico project.
Total production of the project is expected to reach about 300 million cubic feet of gas and 3,000 barrels of liquids per day from two wells. The well is located about 230 miles offshore and in about 7,650 feet of water.
First production comes after a discovery well was drilled in 2008 and an appraisal well was completed in 2009.
Exxon operates the Hadrian South project with a 46.7 percent interest while Brazil’s Petrobras and Italy’s Eni hold a 23.3 percent and 30 percent respective interest.
Hadrian South connects underwater to the Anadarko-operated Lucius truss spar, which began operating in January. Exxon holds a 23.3 percent interest in the Lucius project.
Operations in the Gulf of Mexico have so far proved resilient to falling oil prices. An estimate by energy analyst firm Wood Mackenzie predicts that six new deepwater projects will come online this year, boosting production by 177,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
The report also indicates that mobile offshore drilling rigs are still running at near-record levels, despite a steep drop in the onshore rig count. The continued drilling could boost offshore production 23 percent this year, potentially reaching 1.6 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, according to Wood Mackenzie estimates. Total U.S. production is more than 9 million barrels of crude per day.
Many deep-water projects are insulated from market swings by large price tags and long-term schedules. Onshore shale drilling is cheaper, has a shorter life span and is more easily halted when prices fall.
Jun. 2009 - ExxonMobil will drill its Hadrian II sub-salt prospect using the Eirik Raude. Drilling operations should commence once the rig moves off the Julia well.
Oct. 2009 - ExxonMobil is using the Ocean Endeavor semisub to spud its Hadrian-III prospect, located on the Keathley Canyon Block 919 in 7,380 feet (2,249 meters) of water. Drillng operations could take up to 110 days, and the well is targeting both oil and gas.
Jun. 2011 - ExxonMobil made two oil discoveries and a gas discovery in the Gulf of Mexico in the Keathley Canyon area, making them one of the largest discoveries found in that region, in the last decade. These discoveries (drilled in ‘09, ‘10 and presently) could generate more than 700 million barrels of recoverable oil and gas equivalent, said ExxonMobil. The recently drilled KC919-3 wildcat well, by the Maersk Developer semisub, has confirmed the presence of a lower oil reserve in Keathley Canyon Block 919. The well encountered more than 475 feet (145 meters) of net oil pay and a small amount of gas in predominantly Pliocene high-quality sandstone reservoirs. Drilling is continuing in the well in order to achieve a depth of 6,941 feet (2,116 meters).
Mar. 2012 - ExxonMobil awarded Technip a contract for subsea equipment on the Hadrian South natural gas development in the GOM in about 7,500 feet (2,300 meters) of water. The project consists of a subsea tie-back to the planned Anadarko operated spar platform, Lucius. The contract covers project management, procurement and installation of two 7-mile (11-kilometer) long flowlines and associated jumpers; installation of a 9-mile (14-kilometer) umbilical, associated foundation and flying leads; and pre-commissioning. The equipment will be installed in 2013.
http://www.subseaiq.com/data/Project.aspx?project_id=474&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
So just like the Deep Horizon, the target is the gas and the crude is just a spinoff? Kinda lays focus on what happened to those imaginary massive migrating oil slicks that were never found.
The "target" is both. At today's prices, that is ~$5 Nat Gas for ever $1 crude produced.
So just like the Deep Horizon,
These are production wells, put in years after the exploration was done. The Deepwater Horizon Rig was drilling the Macondo field, with an exploration well, as they did not yet know the contents of the field.
those imaginary massive migrating oil slicks
I don't understand what you are talking about here or how it relates to the topic of the thread.
At least somebody is turning to the right...
I don’t know they are still drilling for this. I believe that work was done some time ago. The wells were connected via subsea equipment and run to a production platform in another area. There is not a production platform for this field to have that type of rig, there might still be a drilling platform, but I have not seen that.
Offshore drilling has been dropping significantly around the world. Projects like this proceed because most of the money was spent before the drop, drilling and exploration were long over.
Gulf of Mexico active drill rigs down over 30% from a year ago.
North America Rig Count
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=79687&p=irol-reportsother
Transocean to spend millions, sends rigs to the scrapping heap
http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2015/03/transocean-to-spend-millions-sends-rigs-to-the.html
Overall, the number of rigs the company plans to scrap is now 16. The company announced that it has stacked four other rigs.
Aside from scrapped rigs, 50 to 60 percent of the company’s ultra-deepwater vessels could be idled this year, according to Fuel Fix. Currently, the company owns or has interest in 68 offshore rigs.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.