Production drilling has begun on Statoil’s Kvitebjørn development in the North Sea, with 12 wells due to be completed in just over three years.
The work programme embraces 11 production wells and one to deposit drill cuttings and produced water. All drilling will take place from the Kvitebjørn platform’s fixed rig.
High reservoir pressure and temperature make special demands on drilling and well completion for this field, says Svein Erik Eide, who is responsible for these operations.
“Kvitebjørn is due to come on stream in the autumn of 2004, and drilling will continue after production has begun,” he explains.
“This reservoir is split into various segments, and one well can pass through several. Pressure decline in segments already in production will pose a special challenge with the later wells.”
Kvitebjørn’s entities for drilling and well technology and for petroleum technology have established a separate project team to overcome this challenge, he reports.
Prosafe Drilling Services holds the drilling and well maintenance contract for this field.