Wintershall spuds first offshore appraisal of the Shuwaihat sour gas and condensate field

From 7 to 10 November 2016, Germany’s largest internationally active oil and gas producer will be showcasing its activities and technological expertise at the “Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference” (ADIPEC). Right on time for the annual meeting, Wintershall spuds its first offshore well for the Shuwaihat project in Abu Dhabi.

In July 2015, Wintershall successfully completed the first onshore drilling of the sour gas and condensate field Shuwaihat together with its partner ADNOC and the Austrian OMV. After compiling and analyzing the data from the onshore field SH-5, Wintershall now spudded the first offshore well SH-6. “We have successfully completed the first project phase and are now ready to carry on with the planned activities, namely spudding the offshore well SH-6. Our technological expertise helps us to carry out drilling activities in challenging geological conditions in accordance with the highest HSE standards,” explained Uwe Salge, General Manager for Wintershall Middle East.

Second well for Shuwaihat project: Focus on HSE and efficiency

In order to establish a supply base, Wintershall has opted for a bespoke solution rather than a standard approach and has developed the local “Mugharraq” port for its operations. This way, Wintershall is saving time and money by building its first E&P supply base. For the offshore well SH-6, Wintershall has also implemented an extensive safety concept. For instance, Wintershall together with ADNOC has set up an extended oil spill response system, since operations are close to the shore.

The Shuwaihat field is situated in the western region of Abu Dhabi, about 25 km west of the industrial town of Ruwais. The reservoir evaluation includes up to three field appraisal wells and a 3D seismic survey. The third planned well (SH 7) will also be drilled offshore.

Wintershall’s presence at ADIPEC underlines the strategic importance of the Middle East. The company has been active in the region for several years now and plans to do so in the future. For this purpose, in 2010 the company opened a regional representative office in Abu Dhabi. In June 2012, Wintershall signed an agreement with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and the Austrian OMV company regarding the technical appraisal of the Shuwaihat sour gas and condensate field. As the operator, Wintershall is relying on its extremely high HSE standards and more than 40 years of experience in the safe development and production of sour gas fields. In 2015, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed with ADNOC for a cooperation on a chemical EOR project, underlining the importance of research & development as well as technological expertise.

Experts appearing at ADIPEC

In line with this year’s theme “Strategies for the new energy landscape”, Wintershall CEO Mario Mehren will participate in the Global Business Leaders Session to discuss “The Golden Age of Gas and LNG” with Gazprom’s Alexander Medvedev and Occidental Petroleum’s Vicky A. Hollub.

Wintershall will also be showcasing its expertise and worldwide activities at its exhibition stand (Hall 6, Stand 6256). The company will provide “expert briefings” where Wintershall employees will present different aspects of their work. These presentations will take place up to three times a day in order to give a larger public at ADIPEC the opportunity to listen to the presentations. In addition, Wintershall has also submitted several papers and will present its findings during the official technical conference organized by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).

Read the article online at: https://www.oilfieldtechnology.com/offshore-and-subsea/09112016/wintershall-spuds-first-offshore-appraisal-of-the-shuwaihat-sour-gas-and-condensate-field/