Ultra-deepwater Gulf of Mexico Field Development Enabling Technologies and Demonstrations

摘要

ConocoPhillips, DOE and others are participating in several areas of technology that both enhance and enable the energy industry capability to economically find and develop oil and gas reserves in the ultra-deep frontier exploration areas of the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico ultra-deep waters of 5000 feet to 10,000 feet offer some of the most expensive hydrocarbon basins in the world to find and recover reserves. The reserve size distribution historical statistics in the GOM with exploration drilling in water depths greater than 1000 feet indicate that nearly half of wells drilled find some quantity of hydrocarbon, but that less than one tenth of those are large enough to pay the high cost associated with field development. By halving the minimum economic field size required for development, we quadruple the probability of finding commercial quantities of oil and gas in the GOM. This is the 'carrot'. There are three key components of our joint study and technology development efforts that will be described. The benefits of each with regard to technology enhancement and technology enablers in deep and ultra-deepwater hydrocarbon basins with particular emphasis on the Gulf of Mexico potential application will also be described. The areas to be addressed are Sub-Sea Processing technology development and key findings relating to application in the Gulf of Mexico, Composite Production Riser Demonstration planned for late 2004, and finally Close Tolerance Liner Drilling technology development and demonstration. These three projects are in varying stages of development, so the level of discussion around each will differ.