20 June 2022

Trident Energy commissions extensive upgrade of the Okume Field

In Equatorial Guinea, we have launched and commissioned a major project to convert 15 gas lift wells to electrical submersible pumps (ESPs) by the end of 2022, aimed at unlocking the geological capacity of our Okume complex. The Okume complex fields are a series of stratigraphically trapped deep water channel-levee complexes confined within our Elon and Okume canyons.

Objective

To prepare for the ESP conversion which will be taking place later this year, Okume's central processing facilities (CPFs) have been upgraded to maximise the production capacity (separation, injection, and power generation).

The following were the main objectives of the project:

  • Extending and upgrading the structure of the CPFs platform to support new equipment with cantilevers
  • Adding two new power turbines to allow for additional ESPs and injection capacity
  • Connecting the Echo and Foxtrot platforms with high voltage subsea cables to supply power
  • Process upgrade:
    • Upgrading the separation process to handle the incremental produced fluid
    • Upgrading the water injection system to support the reservoir pressure
  • Instrumentation and telecom upgrade:
    • Upgrading the obsolete control system to connect new equipment and future ones
    • Allowing remote control of tension leg platforms (TLPs) via optic fibres (included in subsea power cables)
    • Allowing remote control of TLPs via optic fibres (included in subsea power cables) 

Project management

Our local team in Equatorial Guinea managed every aspect of the project including project management, supply chain, logistics, and coordination. Starting this ambitious brownfield project in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic has required the team to overcome many challenges both technically and logistically. We have been impressed with their hard work as well as by the contractors, which were assigned under our local content strategy.

Here is a breakdown of how the work was supplied:

  • 55% of services (in value) were provided by local contractors (Sotrasub for construction and installation, Prezioso EG for scaffolding and painting, EGBS for electrical works and commissioning)
  • 32% of services were provided by regional contractors (Friedlander Cameroon for prefabrication)
  • 13% of services were provided by international contractors (SOFRESID for Engineering, ITEC for automation design)

Preparation

As part of the intensive preparation process, the team performed a series of tasks to ensure the project would proceed effectively and with a limited shutdown time. Therefore, each section of the Okume upgrade project was split into sub-projects, designed separately and then merged in a coherent way.

All the structural extensions were built on one platform (Bravo), while the electrical and processing modules were designed onshore in compact and lightweight pieces that could be assembled on-site (like Lego blocks), and the processing units were designed to meet the lifting capacity of the existing cranes. As a result, the automated update of the field was reduced to less than a 36-hour shutdown.  

Project breakdown

This $57m project involves the engineering, procurement, fabrication, and installation of the following:

  • 200,000+ manhours
  • 0 LTIs
  • 200+ tons of structures
  • 700+ piping spools
  • 250+ valves
  • 15 km of subsea power cables
  • Several hundred fibre optics
  • Eight electrical shelters
  • New process units
  • Two new power generators with each having a 4.6MW capacity
  • Two new water injection pumps (the most powerful water injection pumps ever delivered by Halliburton HPS, 37,000 bwipd at 200 bars)
  • More than 35 km of topside cables
  • Automation upgrade of more than 500 electronic elements

This investment is a great illustration of Trident Energy's strategy to unlock the true value of our mid-life oil and gas assets. We are now ready and prepared to begin the ESP conversion, which we will be announcing in due course. We want to say a huge thank you to our team in Equatorial Guinea for their hard work and timely delivery of this project.