Looking ahead for Hess

Background/overview of services

Remote, ultra-deep water (1,600-2,900 m) license block located ~70 km offshore Ghana. Over an 18 month period, INTECSEA assisted Hess through its stage gate processes that culminated in the recommendation of a single field development scheme. The scope covered Assess (Identify) and Select (Evaluate) phase techno-economic evaluations of the subsea facilities, floating systems and topside facilities.

Challenges

• To fully consider reservoir uncertainties in the design and technology selection of the flow assurance, subsea and surface facilities.
• Owing to only rudimentary reservoir modelling, many sensitivities on reservoir data were necessary.
• To recommend a level of subsea, marine and topside pre-investment to enable future expansion or ullage fill campaigns.
• To ensure the recommended floating architecture (risers, structure and mooring) were fully compatible and robust with only preliminary met ocean data and very limited technology analogues.

Results

• Successfully supported Hess through its stage gate processes. Successfully recommended a single field development concept fully considering and documenting technical and economic aspects of subsea, floating systems and topside facility design, as well as non-economic risks.
• Some key areas where value was provided were:
  • Technical assurance of deepwater technologies and of the integration/interfacing of subsea, floating systems and topside facilities.
  • Latest fabrication and installation costs, with due consideration of appropriate contingencies given project uncertainties.
  • In line with the business plan, Hess successfully farmed-out 50% license ownership; INTECSEA technical and commercial assurance was key to the farm-out process.
• The follow-on SURF Pre-FEED was awarded to the INTECSEA Houston office. Continuing the strong INTECSEA-Hess relationship.