Reliance gears up for MJ-1 field production
After the R-Cluster and Satellite discoveries, Reliance and partner BP are turning to the equally promising eastern offshore deepwater MJ-1 field at KG-DWN-98/3.
This month (December), EPC contractor TechnipFMC will begin installing subsea equipment and pipelines at MJ-1 after receiving an LoA on June 20 (2019). "They will begin with subsea equipment from the middle of this month (December)," says a well-placed source.
"TechnipFMC contracted most of the necessary long lead items two years ago; some items have arrived at the Kakinada shore base, and suppliers will begin delivering others from December onwards, while the subsea installation is in progress." Under its LoA from Reliance, TechnipFMC must complete the installation of a 24-inch diameter, four-km subsea pipeline, three-manifolds, four production and three export 'risers' plus two pipeline-end terminations for the eight MJ-1 wells by June (2022).
Up to 20 pipe-laying barges, offshore construction, supply and other vessels, helped by 600 construction workers, will install facilities at the 65-sq metre MJ-1 field in water depths of 1024 metres below the depleted D1 and D3 fields, the first producing fields at KG-D6. Already, construction vessel Deep Core, hired through Jumbo Offshore, is installing the subsea connections for FPSO Ruby, expected at MJ-1 in the second half of 2022.
"Deep Core is finishing her work at MJ-1," adds a source. "She will then go offshore Batam (Indonesia) to have a damaged thruster repaired before returning to the eastern offshore to work for McDermott at (ONGC block) KG-DWN-98/2."
Elsewhere, Transocean drillship DDKG-1 has returned to MJ-1 to do well completions from offshore Kakinada after maintenance work on her Blow Out Preventer (BOP). Given the fast pace of work, some expect Reliance and BP to complete all the subsea work by April (2022).
"After that, they will take four to six months to commission the facilities," we hear. Subsea work is on track, but there is some uncertainty about the arrival of FPSO Ruby, which could be delayed by a few weeks because of unexpected disruptions caused by another wave of Covid-19 in parts of Europe.