Oil production has started at from a previously undrained compartment at OMV’s US$255 million Maari redevelopment, located around 80km off the Taranaki coast of New Zealand.
The MR-8A well, the second in the drilling campaign, was side-tracked out of an abandoned injection well and drilled horizontally into the Moki formation to a total length of 3824m. The production capacity for the well was estimated at 4500bo/d (gross).
The field, which is located in around 100m of water, first came on stream in February 2009. Field production has waned from peak rates of around 25,000bo/d (net to OMV). The redevelopment drilling campaign is designed to increase its reserves, production and recovery, OMV said.
The field was shut-in from July to December 2013 for remedial work and upgrades, including an enhanced water injection system, partner Horizon Oil said. In its corporate presentation dated 21 November 2014, the Australian company called the program technically challenging, and said that it had exceeded the joint venture’s budget.
However, it also noted that the completion of the Maari growth projects, as it is also known, is expected to increase production to operator forecast levels of around 290,000bo/d (gross), which more than doubles the current levels.
The field is located beneath an unmanned wellhead platform and the Raroa FPSO. The wellhead platform is Arup’s self-installing DrillACE concept. It is capable of operating in 20m waves and more than 160km/h in wind gust speeds, Arup said.
The Maari growth campaign includes drilling five production wells. The program is expected to be completed by mid-2015.
OMV New Zealand operates the field (69%) on behalf of its partners Todd Maari (16%), Horizon Oil International (10%) and Cue Taranaki (5%).
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