SPE Projects, Facilities & Construction
Volume 4, Number 2, June 2009, pp. 19-26

SPE-115612-PA

The Cliff Head Field Development--Flow Assurance and Production Chemistry Challenges in a Marginal Field Context

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DOI  More information 10.2118/115612-PA http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/115612-PA

Citation

  • Daniel, S. and Roberts, J. 2009. The Cliff Head Field Development--Flow Assurance and Production Chemistry Challenges in a Marginal Field Context. SPE Prod Fac & Const  4 (2): 19-26. SPE-115612-PA. doi: 10.2118/115612-PA.

Discipline Categories

  • 5 Production and Operations
  • 6 Reservoir Description and Dynamics
  • 1 Drilling and Completions
  • 3 Management and Information
  • 2 Health, Safety, Security, Environment and Social Responsibility

Summary

The Cliff Head Field, offshore Western Australia, faced significant development challenges because of its location and reservoir fluid properties. The influence of these challenges is apparent in the development solution adopted from sandface to market. The modest reserve size required the application of a number of firsts, including coiled tubing (CT), deployed electric submersible pumps (ESPs) combined with intelligent completion technology, a novel water "spike" approach to waxy crude transportation, a distributed chemical injection system, a remote-controlled, normally unmanned production platform, produced water re-injection, and "hydrofrac" water-injection capacity.

This paper describes the flow assurance and production chemistry challenges facing the development, the resulting development solution, and the production history to date.

Introduction

The Cliff Head field is located in Commonwealth hydrocarbon exploration permit WA-286-P in the offshore Northern Perth Basin, Western Australia. Cliff Head is the first offshore development within the region. The field was discovered in December 2001 when Brent crude prices were at USD $20 per barrel. The field contains 15.7 million barrels of estimated ultimate oil recovery.

© 2009. Society of Petroleum Engineers

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History

  • Original manuscript received: 7 July 2008
  • Meeting paper published: 24 September 2008
  • Revised manuscript received: 30 December 2008
  • Manuscript approved: 13 January 2009
  • Published online: 1 June 2009
  • Version of record: 1 June 2009