First oil has been produced from the Mukta-B (MB), a four legged renewables-powered unmanned wellhead platform in the offshore Bombay basin, India.
The project marked several firsts, including the use of green technology involving hybrid solar panels and wind turbines for self-sufficient power, remote monitoring facilities for process optimization and voice over internet protocol for better communication, according to partner BG Group.
Using solar and wind energy to power remote minimal facilities has been explored by the industry for some time, with such devices supporting power generation. Wholly renewables powered platforms are also now becoming a more common concept, with Heerema Fabrication Group this week awarded a contract for a renewable energy powered unmanned platform for the Dutch sector of the North Sea.
The Mukta field is part of the Panna-Mukta oil and gas field contract area, some 95km offshore Mumbai in the Arabian Sea in about 154ft (47m) water depth.
There were already eight wellhead platforms and a processing platform (PPA), with bridge linked living quarters and flare platform, in the fields, but production had been shut in from one, the MA platform, for 2.5 years due to pipeline integrity issues.
The new platform both brings on additional production, through six new development wells, with a further three planned, as well as enabling production to restart from the MA platform, fluids from which have been redirected via the MB platform to the main PPA in the fields.
The new platform, built by Larsen & Toubro under an engineering, procurement, construction and installation contract, is 25km to the west of the PPA platform, which was modified, including new pipeline inspection launchers and receivers, piping and instrumentation, to tie in the MB facility.
Two 14in production and 5in gas lift lines were installed, with one, 5.2km-long, between the new MB and existing MA platform, which has been shut in for 2.5 years due to pipeline integrity issues, and one, 20.5km-long, from the MB to the PPA platform. MA fluids are now exported to the PPA via the MB platform.
The installation campaign and pre-commissioning was performed by Singapore based KTL Offshore.
Shaleen Sharma, President & Managing Director, BG India said: “This is a significant milestone for BG India and the culmination of an integrated team effort by all functions and contract parties.”
Further incremental development of the existing fields via well intervention and infill drilling campaigns, as well as evaluating new projects and further development opportunities, is being planned, says BG Group.
The Panna/Mukta contract area covers 1207sq km. It was first developed in the 1990s. The terms of the production sharing contract is subject of ongoing arbitration with the Indian government. According to the Indian government, the Mukta field has 1000 MMboe 3P reserves.
BG has a 30% interest in the Panna-Mukta oil and gas fields alongside our partners, ONGC and Reliance Industries.
Image: Mukta-B wellhead platform. Photo from L&T.
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