New Horizons
Growing pressures to increase global oil production have led operators to focus on maintaining and enhancing production from existing fields and exploring new reserves.
We continually develop new solutions to meet the needs of our global clients as they enter new territories and face new challenges. Our 'new horizons' include new developments to help our clients unlock the rich reserves of the Arctic and remote reservoirs, new services we offer operators keen to produce fuel products whilst reducing greenhouse gases and cost-effective engineering solutions.
Arctic oil & gas exploration solutions
With much of the Arctic region hydrocarbon reserves lying under seasonal or year-round sea ice, Wood Group offers specialist knowledge to enable operators considering options for exploring this untapped region.
Recognising our experience in Alaska, Canada and Russia, the US Minerals Management Services commissioned our Newfoundland-based engineering company, IMV Projects Atlantic, to produce a report on the "Arctic Offshore Technology Assessment of Exploration and Production Options for Cold Regions of the US Outer Continental Shelf."
Intended to assess technically feasible options for oil & gas operations in the Beaufort, Chukchi and Bering Seas, off Alaska, the report encompasses exploration and production. It also analyses the use of fixed platforms, artificial islands, floating structures and subsea infrastructure including pipelines and provides guidance for future exploration and development technologies.
To read the full report visit:
www.mms.gov/tarprojects/584.htm
Arctic pipeline design software
New software technology has been developed by our pipe-line specialist, J P Kenny to simulate the response of buried pipelines in Arctic regions where ice gouging (the interaction of icebergs with the seabed and the pipeline) is a major issue.
The tool comprises multi-physics Abaqus® software that simulates a 3-D model of the pipeline and data on the environment in which it will exist such as seabed soil, gouging icebergs/ridges and extreme deformations of seabed material. It is designed to help operators achieve significant savings in pipeline burial in the offshore Arctic region.
For further information visit: www.jpkenny.com
alan.brackenridge@jpkhouston.com
Remote reservoirs
Mustang has patented an LNG Smart Small Scale, Short Haul concept that includes a floating liquefaction unit that receives gas associated with oil production from remote reservoirs. Appropriate for fields with gas production rates of 75 to 300 mmscfd, the unit will be used where distances from the oil or gas fields to market are between 1,000 to 1,500 nautical miles.
For further information visit: www.mustangeng.com/content.aspx?midstream
Reducing greenhouse gases
Syngas - an innovative process that converts carbon materials into fuel and feedstock products is the focus of a new Midstream business line launched by Mustang. The Syngas process enables the production of hydrogen, synthetic natural gas, chemicals, liquid fuels, electrical power and steam whilst achieving reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
For further information visit: www.mustangeng.com/content.aspx?midstream
Cutting costs - standardizing topsides design
With the increasing deployment of *FPSOs to explore challenging and more remote hydrocarbon reserves, we have enhanced our capabilities to support this growing global market.
In an article published in Offshore magazine, Wayne Mueller, from Wood Group company, Alliance Engineering, highlights the benefits of standardizing topsides production facilities, which provide onsite processing of oil & gas offshore.
"There are opportunities to use a modular design approach with standardized layouts, components and process systems," explains Wayne, "Our database offers clients the following benefits":
- Flexibility, Interchangeability & Scalability - proven designs that can be adapted to meet the individual needs of operators and the requirements of widely varying reservoir conditions.
- Cost reduction
- Schedule improvement
- Quality control & reliability.
Wood Group is currently serving as Topsides Owner's Engineer for Petrobras America for the first FPSO to be used in the US Gulf of Mexico.
For further information visit:
FactFile
- *FPSO - a permanently moored offshore drilling vessel with storage and production capability.
