Woodside plans to shut down Enfield

Australian energy giant Woodside plans to stop production from its Enfield oil field in production license WA-28-L off Australia and remove the Nganhurra FPSO from the field.

The Enfield oil field is located approximately 52 km north-west of Exmouth in Western Australia. The field has been developed using subsea wells, manifolds and flowline systems tied back to the Nganhurra floating production, storage and offloading system (FPSO). It has been producing since 2006.

According to the Australian offshore regulator, NOPSEMA, the energy company on August 4 submitted an environment plan to undertake petroleum activities in the vicinity of Enfield oil field to support cessation of production activities as it plans to decommission, dismantle and remove the facilities from the offshore oil field.

The company is planning to flush the subsea and topside infrastructure prior to disconnecting the Nganhurra FPSO vessel from the field, remove the Riser Turret Mooring (RTM) from field and isolate and preserve subsea infrastructure in preparation for future decommissioning activities.

Further activities anticipated to be undertaken as part of the environment plan include disconnection and sail away of the FPSO, preservation of the Nganhurra subsea systems until the wells are plugged and abandoned and subsea infrastructure is decommissioned; and removal of  the RTM from field following disconnection of risers, electro-hydraulic umbilical (EHU), removal of buoyancy modules and disconnection of mooring lines from RTM.

The RTM may remain in-situ for a period of time post the FPSO disconnection.

Subject to mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) contracting opportunities, well intervention and/or abandonment for selected wells may be undertaken as part of the environment plan scope.

Plugging and abandonment of remaining wells and the decommissioning of remaining subsea equipment will be subject to future stakeholder engagement and environment plan submissions.

The regulator’s decision regarding the submitted environment plan is expected by September 4, 2017.

Woodside is the operator of the WA-28-L license with Mitsui E&P Australia as its partner.

Greater Enfield

The two companies are currently working on the development of the Greater Enfield project, which includes undeveloped reservoirs located within the same area as the Enfield and Vincent oil fields.

The project is operated by Woodside utilizing the existing production facility at the Vincent oil field, the Ngujima-Yin FPSO. It was sanctioned in June last year, aiming to start production of crude oil by around mid-2019.

The Greater Enfield Project requires development of six subsea production wells and six water injection wells. Production will be supported by subsea multiphase booster pumps in the Laverda area and gas lift in the Cimatti area.

Offshore Energy Today Staff