Offshore Production - Shallow Water

[ClaytonC]

Hello all, I am a Managed Pressure Drilling Engineer. I am taking a course on Production.... I am struggling with something the course is seeming to push. Is the industry trend to complete offshore wells with subsea xmas trees? no matter the water depth? For example, 100 meters of water with a fixed platform already in place producing another reservoir. Is there any economical or technical justification to use sub sea welllheads in a new field?

 

[ricklts]

Clayton,
With the cost differential between a subsea and a dry tree(located on the platform) I can't see any benefit to use a subsea system. If the platform is fixed, what advantage would there be? If it floats, there are several systems already in place to counteract possible extreme movements of the platform and production riser.

You might want to ask some of the guys from GE, Cameron, FMC, and DrilQuip for something more definitive.

Rick

 

[ClaytonC]

Rick.

Thanks for the response. I literally just signed up, so I wam pleased to see that this could be quite an active sight.

Also thanks for clarifying that my thought process wasn't really far off, everything I have researched online so far, only makes a comparison to dry/wet tree advantages and disadvantages if the prospect is in deep water.