NaKika Subsea Development

A sixth field, Coulomb, in a water depth of approximately 7,600 feet, was tied back to the host facility in 2004. Coulomb consists of Mississippi Canyon Block 657, which is 100% owned by Shell.  Coulomb is produced back to the NaKika production host facility using a subsea production system consisting of two wells.  Shell owns 67% of Mississippi Canyon Block 613; Petrobras America owns the remaining 33%. 

The host has a semisubmersible-shaped hull with topside facilities for fluid processing and pipelines for oil and gas export to shore. The host is placed in a centrally located position within the NaKika unit. By using this novel co-development concept, Shell and BP are able to develop and produce these hydrocarbons profitably.

Exploration and Discovery

The NaKika Project produces hydrocarbons from five small to medium-sized discoveries in the Mississippi Canyon area (not including Coulomb):

Shell has a 50% interest in the floating host facilities and the Kepler, Ariel, Fourier, and Herschel fields, with BP having the remaining 50% interest. Shell has a 37.5% interest in the East Anstey Field, with BP holding the remaining 62.5%.

Development Plans

• Shell announced in September 2000 plans to develop six discoveries (including Coulomb) in the Mississippi Canyon area utilizing a permanently-moored, floating host facility, based upon a semisubmersible-shaped hull, to process oil and gas from 10 satellite subsea wells (12 including Coulomb).

• Shell was the pre-development operator of the NaKika development, responsible for the design, fabrication, and installation of the floating host facility and subsea production systems, as well as the drilling and completion of the 10 development wells. BP is the post-production operator, responsible for the operation of the host facility and surveillance of the satellite subsea fields.

• The Kepler, Ariel, and Herschel fields are primarily oil, while the Fourier and East Anstey fields are primarily gas.

• Design, engineering and project management for the NaKika project was provided by Shell EP Projects, with support from various design consultants. ABB Lumus Global provided assistance on the hull design and DCA provided assistance on the topsides design.

• Development drilling operations began in September 2001 and ended in June 2002 using the Transocean Marianas. The well completions began in mid-June 2002 and were completed in late February by the Marianas. There will be no drilling module on the floating host facility since all of the development wells are satellite subsea wells tied back with flowlines.

• The subsea systems consist of satellite oil wells that flow through pipe-in-pipe insulated flowlines and gas wells that flow through uninsulated flowlines to the NaKika host structure. From there, the production is processed and transported to shore via export pipelines.

• The 29-mile long north oil loop consists of 10”x16” pipe-in-pipe insulated flowlines. The 26-mile long south oil loop consists of 8”x12” pipe-in-pipe insulated flowlines. The 32-mile long south gas loop consists of 8” uninsulated flowlines.

The floating host facility consists of:

• Steel hull, comprised of four square steel columns, 56 feet wide and 142 feet high, and four rectangular steel pontoons, 41 feet wide and 35 feet high, which connect the bottoms of the four columns. The hull weighs 20,000 short tons and provides 64,000 short tons of displacement.

• Topside facilities, comprised of 4 modules – quarters, process, east receiving and west receiving - weighing 20,000 short tons.

• 16-leg catenary mooring system comprised of chain, wire rope, and suction piles.

• The quarters module can house up to 63 people and contains a control room and emergency response center.

• Installation of the host facility occurred in the third quarter of 2003.

• A 75-mile, 18-inch diameter oil pipeline connects to Main Pass 69. It is owned by Shell Pipeline LLC.

• The gas pipeline is a 75-mile, 24-inch diameter pipeline connecting to Main Pass 260. It is owned by Okeanos Gas Gathering System, which is a regional gas gathering system owned jointly by Shell Gas Transportation and BP.

• Hyundai Heavy Industries of Ulsan, South Korea, was awarded the fabrication, integration and transportation of the host facility.

• Other major contractors include:
  • Kiewit Offshore Services – host readiness site activities
  • Allseas - export pipeline installation
  • SeaCAT – umbilical tubing supply
  • Nexans - umbilical manufacture
  • Subsea 7 (ex Halliburton Subsea) – umbilical installation
  • Sumitomo, Tamaris, Corinth - line pipe
  • Technip Offshore Contractors Inc (TOCI – ex Coflexip-Stena Offshore) – flowline and riser installation
  • Bredero-Price – pipe joining and coating
  • Hydralift – riser pull-in equipment
  • FMC – trees and well jumpers
  • KBR – sleds and flowline jumpers
  • Vicinay – mooring chain and shackles
  • ScanRope – wire rope and connecting plates
  • McDermott – suction piles
  • Bardex – mooring system pull-in equipment
  • Amclyde – mooring system fairleaders
  • Heerema Marine Contractors – mooring system and host installation
     
• Offshore installation activities began in summer 2002 with the installation of the host mooring system and installation of the oil and gas pipelines. Flowline installation began in February 2003 and host installation, followed by riser and umbilical installation, occurred in the third quarter of 2003.

Production

• Initial production from the five fields occurred in November 2003.

Na Kika New Technology

Overall System

• First semi-submersible host for Shell in the deepwater
   
• Deepest permanently moored floating oil & gas development system
   
• Water depth record: approximately 6300 ft (approx. 2000 m) water depth
   
• Central host for development of five dispersed subsea fields (six fields counting Coulomb)

Host

• Advanced slug control (gas lift, surface slug suppression device, automated process controls, dynamic modeling)
   
• Dead oil/diesel displacement and operation for flow assurance
   
• Coiled tubing gas lift for startup and production enhancement
   
• Enhanced produced water treatment to meet best available technology requirements

Subsea

• First pipe-in-pipe risers in the world
   
• First gas lift risers in the GOM
   
• Largest pipe-in-pipe flowline in the GOM
   
• First downhill flow in the GOM
   
• First "electrically-heated ready" flowlines and risers
   
• First multi-phase flow meters for Shell in GOM
   
• First use of the heave compensated landing system to install subsea trees and equipment
   
• Most powerful chain jack system for riser installation (1.5 million pound capacity)

Drilling & Completions

• Deepest water depth for development wells in the world 
   
• Application of technical limit drilling and completion
   
• First deepwater subsea well completion with three commingled reservoirs
   
• First deepwater subsea well completions with SMART well technology

Coulomb

• Coulomb is located in Mississippi Canyon Blocks 657 and 613, located in approximately 7600' of water about 26 miles east of the NaKika production host facilities.
   
• MC Block 657 was acquired by Shell in OCS Lease Sale 104 in 1986. MC 613 was originally acquired by Kerr-McGee and Petrobras America Inc. in 1988. In 2000, Shell acquired Kerr-McGee's interest.
   
• The discovery well and sidetrack were drilled in 1988 and the appraisal well and sidetrack were drilled in 2000.
   
• MC Block 657 is 100% owned by Shell. Shells owns 67% of MC Block 613; Petrobras America owns the remaining 33%.
   
• Coulomb is primarily gas.
   
• Coulomb is produced back to the NaKika production host facility using a subsea production system consisting of two wells.
   
• Production from Coulomb began in mid 2004.