Having a facility more than 300 km (186 miles) offshore connected to ultra-deepwater subsea equipment that needs regular servicing means operators are looking for topsides solutions that can reduce cost. The Perdido spar is the world's deepest direct vertical access spar and is operated by Shell on behalf of its partners BP and Chevron. The platform is a massive structure, weighing 55,000 tonnes, nearly as tall as the Eiffel Tower, and moored in 2,450 m (8,000 ft) of water. It acts as a production hub for three fields - Great White, Tobago, and Silver tip in the Walker Ridge area of the Gulf of Mexico - and has been producing since March 2010. The spar receives, processes, and exports oil and gas from reservoirs located within a 48-km (30-mile) radius. The Tobago field, in 2,925 m (9,596 ft) of water, is the world's deepest subsea completion. With 22 direct vertical access wells connected to the spar and an additional 13 tiebacks from subsea completions, this means the equipment must be changed out and serviced at regular intervals.
展开▼
