Petrofac Begins Pipeline Export and Production from Don Southwest Sidetrack

Petrofac, the international oil & gas facilities service provider, and Operator of the Don development has switched over to export from the West Don and Don Southwest (Don SW) fields utilising a pipeline oil export service via the Lundin Thistle platform. The company also announces start up from the Don Southwest production well DR2z, following recent drilling of a sidetrack well.

Between April 2009 and mid-February 2010, oil export was delivered via shuttle tankers loading from a single anchor leg (SAL) mooring system, which was susceptible to interruption from severe weather. As originally planned, export has now switched to a permanent pipeline export route via Lundin’s Thistle platform. The new system is expected to reduce interruption and improve production stability and export operations.

Lundin began modification of the Thistle platform in late 2008, which included the installation of a new flexible riser hang off platform. The final tie-ins and pipeline commissioning operations were completed by the end of February 2010.

In addition to the pipeline export milestone being reached, the second of the Don Southwest production wells (P-02-DR2z) came on stream yesterday shortly after the permanent export route became available. The completion of this well and the demobilisation of the John Shaw drilling rig earlier in the month allowed access for a dive support vessel to complete water injection tie-ins at Don SW at the beginning of this week. Injection to the Don SW field is now also underway, performance of production and injection is being assessed, but early indications are that well performance has been positive. A stage two drilling programme at Don SW is scheduled to commence in Q2 2010 when the Transocean John Shaw returns from a period of shoreside upgrade.