The Devils Tower News

Technip was awarded by Deep Gulf Energy II LLC a lump sum contract for the development of the Kodiak field, located in Mississippi Canyon Blocks 727 and 771, in the Gulf of Mexico, at water depths ranging from 1,472 meters to 1,710 meters. The project consists of a subsea tie-back to the Devils Tower Truss Spar located in Mississippi Canyon Block 773. To withstand Kodiak field’s high temperature and pressure as well as extremely corrosive production fluids, the pipeline will be of a bi-metallic construction, lined with corrosion resistant alloy(1). This solution effectively addresses the challenges of increasingly demanding operating conditions. • crossings preparation along with pre-lay and post-lay survey.

By James R. International Maritime Associates, Inc. Floating production has evolved to a mature technology that opens for development oil and gas reservoirs that would be otherwise impossible or uneconomic to tap. The technology enables production far beyond the depth constraints of fixed platforms, generally considered to be 1,400 ft. (426.7 m), and provides a flexible solution for developing short-lived fields with marginal reserves and fields in remote locations where installation of a fixed facility would be difficult. Floating production systems vary greatly in appearance - from ship-shape FPSO vessels to multi hull production semis to cylindrical shaped production spars.

Technip has been awarded by Mariner Energy, Inc. a contract for an electrohydraulic control umbilical for the Bass Lite field development in the Gulf of Mexico. This contract follows the pipeline contract awarded to Technip in 2006 for the same field. This new contract includes engineering and installation of three steel umbilical sections, approximately 19 miles long each, and installation of the hydraulic, electrical and optical connecting lines for the control of the subsea system. The umbilical and the associated connecting lines will tie-back the two Bass Lite subsea wells, at a water depth of 6,750 feet in Atwater Valley 426, to the Devils Tower Spar moored in 5,600 ft. of water. Technip’s operations and engineering center in Houston (Texas) will execute the contract.

Post-hurricane production from The Devils Tower platform includes new subsea fields at Triton and Goldfinger. Located approximately 140 miles southeast of New Orleans, Devils Tower is deepest dry-tree truss spar in the world. Owned by Williams and operated by Dominion Exploration & Production, the spar has successfully weathered three major hurricanes. Dominion Exploration & Production employees recently celebrated their New Orleans homecoming with a crawfish boil held in front of the company's new offices -- the home of Dominion's offshore business unit. During the last two months, 210 employees and their families have returned to New Orleans from temporary housing in Houston.

Dominion Exploration and Production, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dominion, has begun production from the Triton and Goldfinger subsea wells, located 140 miles southeast of New Orleans on Mississippi Canyon Blocks 771, 772 and 728 in the Gulf of Mexico. “These new additions are excellent examples of the returning strength of Gulf of Mexico operations,” said Duane Radtke, president and chief executive officer. Triton/Goldfinger consists of three subsea wells connected to the Devils Tower floating production system via insulated six-inch by ten-inch diameter flowlines. Devils Tower, the world’s deepest dry-tree spar, is owned by Williams and operated by Dominion E&P in 5,610 feet of water on Mississippi Canyon Block 773.

Coflexip Stena Offshore Inc. was awarded by Williams Energy Services a large EPCI contract for the design, procurement, installation and commissioning of two 18-in. export pipelines, totalling 160 miles from the Devils Tower field development, located in 5,700 ft water depth in Block 773 of the Gulf of Mexico, to shallow water tie-in locations at the shelf edge. The contract work scope comprises project management, engineering, procurement and installation of two export pipelines consisting of 160 miles of 18-in. pipeline, 12 miles of 14-in. pipeline and two 14-in. steel catenary risers (SCR). CSO will also be responsible for hooking up of the SCRs to the new-built Dominion Exploration Devils Tower Spar…

Horizon Offshore, Inc. announced that its subsidiary, Horizon Offshore Contractors, Inc., has been awarded a contract by Williams Oil Gathering, LLC to install 49.96 miles of 20-inch oil pipeline in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico for the Mountaineer Shallow Water Pipeline System, which is a part of the Devils Tower project being constructed by Williams. Horizon will utilize the pipelay barge Lone Star Horizon and lay/bury barge Pecos Horizon for this project, which will be installed in water depths ranging from 8 to 270 feet. The Mountaineer project is expected to commence installation during the fourth quarter of 2002 with completion scheduled during the first quarter of 2003.