Tullow says $3.1b Jubilee Phase 1 will be new standard for oil industry

The major stakeholder in Ghana’s largest oil field, the Jubilee oil field, Tullow Oil says the project will be the new benchmark for the global oil industry when commercial production in the $3.1 billion Jubilee Phase 1 development begins late in the year.

The Offshore Magazine reports that according to Tullow, the timeframe between discovery and start-up – 40 months –  which is on course will represent a new benchmark for the deepwater industry.

All process modules and the external turret have been installed on the Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO), with module integration and commissioning work under way at the yard in Singapore. Subsea installations started as scheduled this January. The FPSO should depart for Ghana in the second quarter.

Phase 1 will involve nine producer wells delivering 120,000 b/d at peak, with pressure support from six water injector wells and two gas injectors. To date, 16 wells have been completed and installation of production tubing and completion equipment is currently in progress.

Well results to date have been in line with pre-drill expectations, Tullow says, testing at rates of over 20,000 b/d, with reservoir connectivity over distances of more than 6 km (3.7 mi).

Gas produced with the oil will initially be re-injected for pressure support, although The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) is considering a project to export the gas to shore for power generation. In the longer term, Tullow believes, around 70% of Jubilee’s associated gas could be diverted to this scheme.

Oil was discovered in commercial quantity in Ghana in June 2007. The Jubilee oil field is the largest to be discovered in West Africa in the last 10-15 years. The field contains 1.8 billion barrels of oil and has 17 wells according to Tullow.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi