Contract To Production In 20 Months
Glas Dowr, the fifth Bluewater owned and operated FPSO, produced first oil from the Dauntless reservoir on Saturday, August 9, and the first oil from the DurwaMj reservoir on Monday, August 11. This was achieved jus™ one month after the vessel arrived on location and just 20 months after the contract award for the vessel. Glas Dowr is installed near Amerada Hess' Durward & Dauntless Fields (Blocks 21/16 and 21/11, UKCS). Bluewater's role is providing the FPSO, risers and umbilicals, as well as operating the FPSO, including well head control. The lease contract has a minimum period of four years.
During its 20-year life, the FPSO is designed to operate 95 percent of the time in production. In fact, it is capable of retaining certificates without leaving the field for eight years.
The basis for the Glas Dowr was a new 105,000-dwt tanker, which was modified for FPSO duty. The FPSO's turret mooring system and the flare boom are located in the forward part of the vessel, while the main process and utility systems are located on deck.
A highly automated and flexible control and monitoring system was chosen based on digital process system technology. Essential alarms of the vessel's existing control systems are integrated into the new control system, and a central control room provides control and display terminals and data management systems. Seawater is used for cooling and for well water injection. Fresh cooling water closed loops are provided for diesel engines.
In addition to the vessel's existing power generation plant in the engine room, a topside electrical power generation plant is installed.
The plant consists of one diesel generator set and three gas turbine generator sets. The power plant is located on the main deck. The diesel genset rims on diesel oil and heavy fuel oil delivered by the vessel's existing fuel system.
The gas turbine gensets normally run on fuel gas or gas oil delivered by the vessel's existing fuel system. Steam generation is provided by the existing steam boiler and a new topside steam boiler unit. Both boilers are run on LP fuel gas and/or liquid fuel. Glas Dowr has accommodations for 96 persons, but the normal opera- DURWARD FPSO popularity and utilization continues to grow, as it provides a fast track to oil production. Bluewater's newest FPSO, the Glas Dowr, is shown at the right, top. The middle photo is the Glas Dowr's production scheme, and the bottom graphic provides an exploded view of the unit.is to house temporary crew during planned maintenance activities.
Processing Systems The topside processing system consists of three major plants: the crude oil processing plant; the water injection plant; and the gas lift compression plant (future option). The crude oil processing plant separates well effluent in dry crude, gas and water. The dry crude is stored in tanks.
The available gas is used in the power plant as fuel gas, lift gas, pilot and purge gas, and the balance is flared in a flare stack. The produced water is cleaned prior to discharge overboard.
Water injection facilities consist of filtration de-aeration, chemical injection and HP water injection pumps.
As an option, gas lift facilities can be installed aboard Glas Dowr. The gas lift facilities will consist ofa treatment plant, compressors, knock-out drums and gas coolers, to recycle lift gas between the FPSO and the reservoirs.
All processing and injection equipment is served by chemical injection skid injecting chemicals to various locations.