Following successful conclusion of a design competition, work is well underway at Aquaterra Energy to design, fabricate and install a minimum facilities Conductor Supported Platform (CSP) for South Atlantic Petroleum Benin S. A. (SAPETRO), off the West African coast.  The contract was awarded following completion of a detailed pre-engineering design study by the Aquaterra Energy team, which resulted in development of a fully rig-installable solution to meet the customer’s timeline and budget.

Patrick Phelan, Managing Director of Aquaterra Energy, said: “We are very proud to be responsible for delivering this critical project which encompasses the full scope of our in-house expertise, including design, 3D modelling, procurement, manufacturing, inspection, construction, and installation, with full supervision.  Installation of the Sea Swift CSP commenced at the end of March.”

The Sea Swift CSP will be located in 26 metres water depth and will connect three planned wells with an onshore processing facility located 15km away.  It will consist of integrated deck topsides, riser guides, boat landing and a subsea jacket structure.  Equipment will be controlled from the onshore facility via an integrated fibre optic communication and power cable.

Patrick Phelan continued: “Offshore operational expertise is at the very heart of our business. Utilising our team’s knowledge at the early stages of the analytical and design phases means that the final product is optimised for field use.”

The topside structure will comprise cellar and production decks.  The wellheads and Christmas trees will be accommodated on the production deck and the conductors will be used to support the topsides using Aquaterra Energy’s proprietary connection mechanism.

Riser guides, providing support and protection to the export riser and power cable, will be located on two well conductors and will be installed using Aquaterra Energy’s field proven technologies.

The free standing structure of the Sea Swift CSP will utilise four 30 inch well conductors tied together by the subsea structure providing structural support to the topsides, while also housing the well casings.  The platform is being fabricated in Africa and will be installed using the Jack Up drilling rig, eliminating the need for a heavy lift vessel.

James Larnder, Director at Aquaterra Energy said: “At each stage of the design process, careful consideration was given to optimise the solution from structural, analytical, constructability, design and installation perspectives. This has resulted in a light weight structure, a footprint optimised to house the topsides equipment that can be easily fabricated and installed by the drilling rig.

“Sea Swift is an innovative conductor supported platform concept, which offers a tried and tested solution that is versatile and flexible, enabling drilling projects to be completed cost effectively and with maximum efficiency.”