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Jubilee Field Eia Chapter 3 PDF
Jubilee Field Eia Chapter 3 PDF
3.1 INTRODUCTION
Permits for the well drilling activities have already been issued and the
Phase 1 project activities addressed in this EIS commence from what is known
as the well completion stage. Well completions are undertaken by the drilling
vessels in preparation for the installation of the subsea infrastructure,
therefore, relevant details of the drilling vessels are also included in this
project description. Where necessary links with the previous EISs from the
drilling activities are made and a summary of the EISs for the drilling
activities is included in Annex B. Annex B also includes a discussion on
drilling fluids and drill cuttings discharges.
The Jubilee oil field was discovered in 2007 and is located in deep water
(1,100-1,700 m) approximately 60 km from the nearest coast in western Ghana.
The field underlies portions of the West Cape Three Points and Deepwater
Tano licence blocks (see Chapter 1: Figure 1.1 and Figure 1.2).
Two of the wells drilled as part of the exploration phase (Mahogany 1 and
Hyedua 1) will be used in Phase 1 along with new 15 additional wells drilled
and completed progressively from late 2008 to early 2011. Installation of
subsea equipment is planned to start in the first quarter of 2010 and continue
for about six months.
The FPSO vessel is being converted from an existing tanker in Singapore and
is due for completion at the end of the first quarter of 2010. On completion it
will transit under its own power from Singapore to Ghana and is scheduled to
arrive in second quarter of 2010 for mooring and installation.
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First oil production is planned for fourth quarter 2010 and the field is expected
to produce oil for at least 20 years based on current estimates of the reserves.
Figure 3.2 shows the production forecast for the Phase 1 development from the
Plan of Development (PoD) with an average production volume of 114,000
bopd (after process downtime) in the first full year. Potential oil volumes
from future phases are also indicated based on conceptual modelling
undertaken by the Jubilee JV partners.
During the design concept phase of the project, the project team evaluated a
number of alternatives before defining the final project design. This section
summarises the main alternatives considered and presents the reasons for the
choice of the final field development concept. The evaluation of alternatives
took into account safety, engineering, technical, financial and environmental
considerations with the final choice being based on the option that provided
the best overall performance against these criteria.
This section describes the overall Safety Case approach taken to the project
design followed by a discussion on the following main project alternatives
considered.
• Development Approach.
• FPSO Design.
• Mooring System.
• Gas Utilisation.
• Shore Base.
The Safety Case includes various Formal Safety Assessments (FSAs) and
Hazard Identification/Hazardous Operations (HAZID/HAZOP) studies of
risks such as explosion, fire, dropped objects, ship collision and gas release.
Outcomes of these studies are integrated into the design through mitigation
measures or Safety Critical Elements (SCEs) which are monitored against
Performance Standards during field life. The Safety Case is updated as the
control measures are tested and verified and during the field life as the risk
profile changes or modifications are made to the facilities. The Safety Case
will be submitted to a third party for verification.
For the Jubilee Phase 1 project a key mitigation measure for the project
selection and design phases has been to use proven technology, systems and
implementation methods which have been successfully used in other parts of
the world.
During the Phase 1 project feasibility studies undertaken between late 2007
and early 2008, a number of field development concepts were identified. The
options were screened against various factors including requirements for no
continuous gas flaring and avoidance of an oil export pipeline to shore due to
time, cost and environmental considerations. Cost, revenue and schedule
models were developed for each option, based on the subsurface and surface
data available at the time of the screening studies. In the assessment of the
different development options, the following factors were taken into
consideration.
4. Full field appraisal, then followed by full field development with FPSOs.
Extended Well Test FPSO and Later Major Field Development using an FPSO or
TLP
This concept comprised extended well testing with four production wells
connected to a small (approximately 40,000 bopd) FPSO to gather early
production data from the field prior to a larger scale development. At the
same time appraisal drilling would continue to obtain information on the
extent of the field. The oil processing would necessitate gas flaring during
production and there would be no water injection to maintain reservoir
pressure. Later development would be optimised by the data gathered.
This concept comprised continued field appraisal well drilling and phased
development of the field with initial installation of an FPSO (80 to 120,000
bopd). The FPSO would have full oil processing and water and gas injection
capabilities across a core area of the field. Phase 1 development would be
based on data from the first exploration well results (Mahogany 1 and
Hyedua 1). Dynamic production data from the field would be gathered and
there would be no gas flaring. Water and gas would be injected for reservoir
management. The Phase 1 scheme would have the ability to expand with
further subsea well connections as appraisal well results were obtained.
This approach would involve continued field appraisal well drilling outlined
above but use of TLP technology and surface wellheads rather than an FPSO
and subsea wellheads. The TLP would be capable of both drilling and
supporting the full oil, water and gas processing facilities, with oil export via a
Floating Storage Unit (FSU). The FSU would be a separate installation similar
to an FPSO but without the processing topsides and the oil taken to market by
export tankers. Gas would be re-injected at the TLP to the producing reservoir
formations for improved recovery with an option for later export of gas. The
TLP would also provide sea water injection for reservoir pressure support.
This full field appraisal approach was estimated to require an appraisal period
of between 24 to 30 months and then following permit approval a construction
period of 24 to 30 months before first oil. In total, 48 to 60 months would be
required to first oil production.
This approach is similar to the previous approach but using TLPs and FSUs
rather than FPSOs. This approach would have a likely longer schedule to the
FPSO approach given the more extensive facility build requirements.
The screening work undertaken at the January 2008 workshop concluded that
the second option outlined above was the preferred option, ie a continued
field appraisal drilling programme to delineate field size and with phases of
development initiated by a large (120,000 bopd) Phase 1 FPSO linked to a
subsea well layout. This option met the requirements of no continuous gas
flaring, satisfactory reservoir management to protect and maximise oil
reserves (gas and water injection at field start-up) whilst providing a relatively
rapid first production schedule. The phased approach allows a development
plan to be put in place for the first phase with later phases of development
being optimised using the reservoir data from the first phase, including the
actual production response of the field to extraction and injection. This
phased approach to major investments mitigates financial risks and is
common practice in major oilfield developments.
• water depth;
• remote location of the field (remote also to any other infrastructure such as
any oil pipelines) leading to a relatively high storage capacity to limit the
number of export tanker visits;
• areal extent of the field not permitting a centralised drilling platform;
• safety and environmental performance (ie a turret moored FPSO weather
vanes in alignment with current and wind conditions reducing collision
and oil spill risks during export tanker offloading operations); and
• is a proven method in similar fields worldwide.
The FPSO size would meet the anticipated field productivity from the initial
well count with a frequency of offloading set at approximately every five to
seven days, which is considered to be practically achievable in West Africa
given available offload tanker traffic in the area.
Figure 3.3 Percentage of Current World Fleet by Geographical Location and Hull Type
90
80
70
60
50 Double Hull
Double Sides
40 Single Hull
30
20
10
0
West North Sea Auz/NZ Far East Latin Other All
Africa America Regions Regions
In most cases, the requirement for new builds was for the very large storage
hulls required where the extra rigidity and strength was required due to their
dimensions and need for extended fatigue life against long expected
production/field life.
Single sided hull configurations (usually tanker conversion) are the most
common, particularly for low energy metocean environments (ie low wind
speed and wave height). Figure 3.4 shows the typical metocean conditions (in
terms of significant wave height) in the Jubilee project area, which are seen as
relatively benign compared to other regions around the world, therefore the
hydrodynamic loading on the FPSO hull and turret swivel will also be
relatively low. Site specific metocean data has also been obtained from
specialist buoys deployed in the Jubilee field. The data from these buoys have
been incorporated into the design of the FPSO, its mooring system and subsea
connected flowlines and controls.
Hs (m)
18.0
100 year return period significant wave height
16.0 10 year return period significant wave height
12.0
10.0
8.0
6.0
4.0
2.0
0.0
Two types of mooring configuration have been considered for Jubilee FPSO.
These consisted of spread mooring or a forward mounted turret Single Point
Mooring (SPM). Spread mooring typically consists of mooring lines from the
extremities of the vessel spreading outwards to their anchored locations
(Figure 3.5). These mooring lines are normally made of chain and fibre rope
which keeps the vessel in a fixed position.
Figure 3.6 FPSO with an External Turret Single Point Mooring System
During Phase 1, an estimated 120 million standard cubic feet per day
(MMscfd) of natural gas will be produced when producing the forecasted
120,000 bbl of oil per day. The natural gas produced will need to be handled
and there are a number of options available:
A shore support base will be needed for the offshore service vessels. The port
of Takoradi was selected as the location for the support base as it is the nearest
Ghanaian port that can meet the capacity requirements, is currently being
used by the offshore oil industry and has recently been expanded. It has the
following key facilities:
If the port of Takoradi is full, overflow vessel traffic can be diverted to the
Naval port at Sekondi. The other main port in Ghana is Tema, however, this
port was not considered for a support base as it is much farther from the
development area (about 350 km compared with 132 km for Takoradi) (see
Figure 3.7).
The port of Abidjan also has suitable facilities and is a similar distance to the
field as Takoradi. Historically the port of Abidjan was used for logistical
support for Ghanaian offshore exploration drilling operations; however, its
role is fast receding as facilities are developed in Takoradi. Consequently, it is
not expected to play any significant role related to the Phase 1 FPSO
development and operations.
Landing and handling facilities for fixed wing aircraft from Accra and
Helicopter support to and from the Jubilee field will be provided from the
Ghanaian Air Force Base at Takoradi. The Air Force base also provides office,
warehousing and material storage facilities for the project. As the project
develops Tullow will also lease other office space, warehousing and personnel
accommodation in Takoradi.
3.4.1 Overview
This section describes the various surface and subsea facilities and equipment
to be installed in the Jubilee field. It starts with a description of the FPSO
vessel including its design, top-side facilities, mooring system, exclusion zone
and offloading system and then describes the subsea elements of the
infrastructure including production and injection wells and associated
connection manifolds and pipe work.
The FPSO will be designed and operated by MODEC Inc and will be leased
from MODEC under a long term contract. Tullow will have a Company
representative onboard the FPSO responsible for ensuring production and
safety targets are met and for the specific operation of the subsea system and
wells connected to the FPSO. The MODEC operations crew will report daily
to the MODEC Offshore Installation Manger. Tullow will set targets for
production and safety with MODEC, administer the contract, provide
supporting logistics, own the integrated operations plan and schedule
production and oil tanker offloading operations.
The FPSO vessel will be converted from an existing single hulled, 330 m long
and 60 m wide VLCC, named Tohdoh, which was built in 1991. The VLCC
Tohdoh and a similarly sized FPSO are shown in Figure 3.8. The Todoh was a
single hulled trading tanker and therefore the resultant FPSO is also classified
as a single hull vessel.
The regulatory regime for FPSOs is different to that applied to normal trading
tankers because of the different risks that FPSOs and tankers are exposed to.
Figure 3.8 VLCC Tohdoh (top) Prior to Conversion to an FPSO Vessel (bottom)
Classification
The FPSO design, construction and operation will comply with the
requirements of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Classification Society
Rules. ABS is an international and independent verification body.
The ABS Class notation for the FPSO indicates that the vessel will have been
built/converted such that it complies with the Classification Societies Rules
for a Floating Production and Offloading System, with a remaining structure
fatigue life of not less than 20 years before any dry-docking for inspection
would be required, and is designed for the site specific environmental
conditions at the Jubilee Field in Ghana and that it satisfies all collision and
impact criteria to which it could be reasonably exposed. In the unlikely event
that dry docking was required within the filed lifetime then the FPSO is
designed so that the production can be temporarily shut down, the risers
isolated and detached, and the FPSO towed away to dry dock. Fatigue and
impact assessments also include the requirement for the FPSO design to
withstand 100 year environmental metocean criteria and storm events for the
project area. Class approval of the FPSO will be evidenced by the issue by of
certificates to show that the requirements of the ABS have been complied
with.
• Offloading system.
The Jubilee project team also subjected the FPSO design approach to a third
party review by a verification agency, Det Norsk Veritas (DNV) in 2009. This
review concluded that a Best Practice approach for a single hull conversion
was being taken by Tullow and its Contractors.
Planning:
Risk identification has been adequately carried out through an in-situ HAZID, Quantitative
Risk Assessment, Collision Risk Assessment and other project documents.
Design:
Design measures that are of common industry practice have been put in place to mitigate the
identified risks. These include:
• weather-vaning mooring system to reduce the chance of collision;
• fenders to absorb supply boat impact (Figure 3.9);
• wing tanks will be used for ballast water and slop tanks in the areas where supply boat
operations will be conducted;
• collision radar;
• structural design of the hull will be checked to meet side impacts as per class requirements;
and
• global structural model showing the FPSO is of adequate strength and has a remaining
fatigue life that takes into account hull condition, repairs and predicted corrosion rates for a
minimum life of 20 years. The FPSO is designed for 1 in 100 year storm events.
Construction:
Construction conversion measures will also be put in place subject to class and the required
infield life of the FPSO, including:
• steel renewals taking into account current corrosion and estimated future corrosion rates;
• coating protection from corrosion which will last 20 years;
• cathodic protection from corrosion which will last 20 years; and
• quality control checks and inspections from class.
Operation:
Operational measures that are of common industry practice have been put in place to mitigate
the residual risks, including:
• Two vessels in field during tanker transfer operations including a hold back tug and a
multipurpose vessel to divert a drifting tanker.
• Criteria for monitoring of hawser line loads for emergency disconnection.
• Training and competency verification of transfer crews and offloading crews. Offloading
operations are controlled by Tullow Master/pilot.
• Regular emergency exercises and drills.
• Established Safety Zone around FPSO.
• Collision avoidance radar system fitted to FPSO
Contingency:
Contingencies that are of common industry practice have been put in place to reduce the
consequences of an emergency event such as oil spill response from in-field support vessels and
the wider resources available through the Oil Spill Contingency Plan. These measures then
respond to an oil spill if it has occurred to ensure timely control and clean-up.
The FPSO will have sacrificial anodes in all cargo and ballast tanks to protect
against corrosion. Additionally an impressed current cathodic protection
system will be used to protect the external surfaces of the hull for the entire
design life of the vessel. The level of protection afforded by these systems
means that periodic visits to a dry-dock is not required. The inside of the
cargo tanks will be coated to provide internal corrosion protection to meet
Capacities
The FPSO turret will be designed to accommodate 14 flexible risers and three
umbilicals from the seabed. For Phase 1, there will be four production risers,
two gas injection risers, two water injection risers and one gas export riser.
There will be two remaining riser slots for future use (one spare umbilical slot
and one spare for water injection or gas export). Electrical power and
hydraulic control to the field will be provided through the umbilicals.
Accommodation
(1) International Labour Organisation (ILO) 92/133, the MODU Code 1989 and ABS Class Structural Fire Protection
3-20
Topside Facilities
Gas dehydration and Gas dehydration and Tri- To avoid hydrates in the
regeneration system Ethylene Glycol (TEG) submarine pipelines, all of the gas
regeneration system will be dehydrated.
2 high pressure gas Single-stage HP gas compression The gas compression system is
compression trains trains downstream of required to re-inject associated
dehydration gas from the separation system
into the producing reservoirs and
2 gas injection Single-stage gas injection for riser gas-lift.
compression trains compression trains downstream
of HP gas compression
Fuel gas conditioning Fuel gas conditioning system Conditioning of fuel gas to
system with 2 filters remove rich heavy hydrocarbons
before use in gas turbines.
Chemical injection Chemical injection tanks with Facilities for chemical injection are
system pumps required in order to efficiently
treat the hydrocarbons before
export, maintain flow assurance,
maintain corrosion inhibition and
enable treatment of seawater.
Service water system. Utilised for cooling and water Desalination system of seawater
injection, includes lift pumps, to produce fresh water for
suction caissons, coarse strainers domestic use on the FPSO.
and distribution system
Process cooling medium Closed-loop (service water to For cooling the production prior
system cooling water) process cooling to going to storage
medium system, with two
circulation pumps and one
expansion tank
Sea Water Injection Multi-media and cartridge Sea water is filtered and the
System filters, vacuum de-aerator with oxygen removed to minimise
associated vacuum pumps and corrosion in the downstream
three high pressure injection water injection facilities
pumps
Sulphate reduction unit SRU seawater treatment package Sulphates are removed from
(SRU) seawater injection including feed pumps and seawater by use of a SRU on the
treatment system Membrane Units FPSO prior to injection Ito reduce
built up of sulphate scale, which
in high concentrations will reduce
or block oil production.
Flare/vent system Flare/vent system with HP and The flare/vent system will collect
LP flare knockout drums and safely dispose of high
pressure hydrocarbons in the
event of an emergency or other
shutdown.
Drainage systems Closed drainage system and oily Drainage system for oily water
water treatment that does not drain directly to sea
but is requited to be contained for
treatment and clean up.
The following navigation aids will be provided and will meet SOLAS
requirements:
Drainage System
There will be two separate drainage systems, an open and a closed drain
system (Figure 3.13). The FPSO drainage system and operations procedures
are designed to meet the following objectives:
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Figure 3.12 Topsides Facilities Flow Diagram
3-25
Figure 3.13 Open and Closed Drainage System Schematic
3-26
The slop tanks (dirty and clean) will accept rainwater, oxygenated seawater,
hazardous and non-hazardous open drain fluids. Waters collected from the
slop tanks will be processed within a separate system before it will be
discharged overboard. Settled water in the clean slop tank will be discharged
through the oily water separator and oil discharge monitor. The water will
either be discharged overboard if the oil content in water is measured on-spec
(15 ppm(1) instantaneous reading) or diverted back to the dirty slop tank.
The off-spec oil and off-spec produced water tanks will accept:
These will be further processed through a common system and pass through
an oil discharge monitor before it will be discharged overboard if the oil
content in the water is measured on-spec (15 ppm).
Chemical and fuel storage tanks will be located on the FPSO. It is envisaged
that diesel bunkering of the FPSO will be frequent in the commissioning
period (eg twice a week) and when in steady state it will be approximately
monthly. Diesel will be stored in the FPSO hull and distributed to the
topsides. Bulk storage for chemicals will be provided in a multi compartment
tank on the FPSO topside. Chemicals and fuel will be delivered by the supply
vessel using bunker (direct supply by hose), drums (2.5 m3) and tote tanks
(4.4 m3).
FPSO diesel usage is estimated at 170 m3 per day during the three month start-
up period while diesel usage will be approximately 8 m3 per day during
steady state operations. Approximately 20 MMscf per day of gas will be used
as fuel in main generators, deck boiler and for the flare pilot flame onboard
the FPSO.
Flaring System
An external turret Single Point Mooring (SPM) system designed for the load
associated with tandem offloading will be used to connect the riser system to
the FPSO. The SPM system will be designed to allow the FPSO to freely turn
360° around the SPM vertical axis to align with the prevailing wind, wave and
current conditions (Figure 3.15). The SPM system will be comprised of an
external box-mounted turret (also known as a riser porch) mooring system for
connecting the seabed mooring lines to the FPSO. The subsea production
pipes (risers) will be supported in the FPSO by the turret. The FPSO will use a
taught-leg mooring system to keep the vessel on location while permanently
moored. The system will consist of nine 1,900 m long chain and polyester
rope anchor ‘legs’ in three groups of three with the groups 120° apart. Each
leg will be anchored to the seabed using 4 m diameter suction piles. The
anchor leg system is designed to have adequate wear and corrosion allowance
and fatigue life for 20 years and will require minimal maintenance. FPSO and
mooring anchor locations are provided in Table 3.3.
Flare Stack
Restricted access areas, such as advisory and exclusion zones, will be enforced
around offshore facilities in the Jubilee Unit Area for the safety of all users of
the sea (Figure 3.16). These areas will be mapped on international nautical
charts and formally gazetted and communicated to stakeholders, including
local fishermen. Tullow proposes to establish the following restricted areas in
consultation with the Government of Ghana.
Exclusion zones are an international standard for oil industry zoning. They
would be legally enforced with the assistance of the agencies of the
Government of Ghana, for the safety of the facility and other users of the area
(eg fishermen) when potentially close to the FPSO or MODUs (when present).
The enforcement would also be applied by project standby and guard vessels.
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3.4.5 Production Systems
A total of nine production wells are planned for Phase 1. These will be drilled
from up to five drill centres (P1 - P5). Drill centres are locations where the
Mobile Offshore Drilling Units (MODUs) will be placed (see Figure 3.17). Each
drill centre will have a four-well slot production manifold and therefore
capacity for four wells, although not all of these well slots will be used in each
of the drill centres during Phase 1 of the development.
The drill centre locations and the development wells are provided in Table 3.4.
A schematic showing the subsea system is provided in Figure 3.18 and the drill
centre locations are shown in Figure 3.19.
The nine production wells that are planned under Phase 1 will be connected to
the subsea production manifolds from the production trees with rigid,
insulated pipes (known as well jumpers). Crude oil and gas will be carried
from the production manifolds through intermediate manifolds and then to
the riser base via dual insulated pipes (known as flowlines). Finally crude oil
and gas will be carried from the riser base through flexible risers to the FPSO.
All production risers have an internal diameter of 254 mm.
Production Manifolds
(1) Pigging in the maintenance of pipelines refers to the practice of using pipeline inspection gauges or 'pigs' to perform
various operations on a pipeline without stopping the flow of the product in the pipeline.
Key: production (green), water injection (blue), gas injection (red). Source: Tullow, 2008
Production Trees
Source: Tullow,2008
Water injection is planned for the west side of the field. There are two water
injection drill centres planned, each of which can accommodate up to four
water injection wells. In Phase 1, each of the water injection drill centres
(W1/W2) will accommodate three injection wells each.
Water will be distributed to the individual injection wells via water injection
manifolds that will be installed on the seafloor. The water injection manifold
has a single header and is externally inspected during the life of the field.
Suction piles will be installed for additional support. Single flexible risers will
be installed from the FPSO turret to each riser base. From the riser base, a
single flowline will carry water to an intermediate water injection manifold
and then to the outlying water injection manifolds. A vertical connection
system will be used on the rigid jumpers to connect injection wells to the
manifold. Each injection manifold will measure 6.1 by 6.1 m, with a weight of
80 tonnes. Injection manifolds and suction piles, exclusive of injection lines,
will occupy an area of 37 m2. The two water injection risers have an internal
diameter of 24.5 cm.
All injection well trees will be enhanced horizontal subsea trees, mounted on
top of subsea wellheads in a similar manner to that employed for the
production trees (Figure 3.21). The injection trees will weigh approximately 38
tonnes each and with a seafloor footprint dimension of approximately 4.4 by
4.4 m, or approximately 20 m2.
Gas injection will occur at the east side drill centre (G1), which will
accommodate two gas injection wells during Phase 1. On the west side of the
field the riser base will be equipped for future gas injection expansion. Gas
injection will leave the FPSO through a single flexible riser to a riser base. A
single steel flowline will then transport the gas to a gas injection manifold.
Gas injection trees will be similar to the water injection trees and will weigh
approximately 38 tonnes with a seafloor footprint dimension of approximately
4.4 by 4.4 m, or approximately 20 m2 each. A total of 10,724 m of water
injection lines, 3,024 m of gas injection lines and 19,843 m of umbilicals are to
be installed in the field.
Injection flowlines will carry treated seawater from the water injection plant
on the FPSO and dehydrated gas from the HP compression train to the
individual subsea water and gas injection manifolds. Water injection will be
through single 25.4 cm (10 inch), steel flowlines from the FPSO to an
intermediate water injection manifold and then to the outlying manifolds.
Single 20 cm (8 inch), steel flowlines will carry gas to the gas injection
manifold.
Flexible risers will connect the individual lines at the riser base to the FPSO
connection through the riser turret. Risers will have buoyancy modules
installed to optimise positioning. Risers will be installed in the field after
FPSO installation.
The gas export riser will terminate on the seabed to allow for future
connection to a gas export pipeline to shore. A pipeline termination unit will
be installed with a manual valve that would be operated by ROV.
Table 3.5 Injection Chemicals used in the Jubilee Field Phase 1 Development Project
Note: location
depends on type and
location of scale
problems and would
be upstream of the
scaling area.
Corrosion Inhibitors Injection to control Subsea and surface Treatment rates would
corrosion of (separation and depend upon
facilities/flowlines heating or cooling corrosion conditions.
medium tanks).
Oxygen Scavengers Water injection. To Surface - Single Injection rates are 8 -10
remove residual injection point into ppm for oxygen
oxygen to reduce Water Injection De- scavenger
corrosion aerator tower.
(Note: This is an indicative list only: (a) Additional chemicals may be required if process or
other problems are encountered and (b) Chemical Injection rates will be finalised by chemical
supplier/support.)
During the operational phase, nine multi-phase flow meters will be installed
on each of the production well jumpers to monitor the production rates of the
wells. These flow meters contain a gamma emitting source (Barium 133),
which are shielded and of low activity. Each flow meter will be tested by a
certified authority prior to shipment from Europe to ensure compliance with
article 3 of the EU Euratom Directive that stipulates maximum exposure levels
(1 . All radioactive sources will require certification by the Ghana Radiation
Within the 110km2 Jubilee Unit Area, subsea infrastructure for the Phase 1
Development will be installed over an area of approximately 34 km2. The area
of seafloor directly disturbed by the installation of the subsea infrastructure
will be approximately 0.023 km2 (2.3 hectares). Seafloor disturbance will be
caused by the FPSO moorings and the installation of subsea production
facilities, such as manifolds, trees, umbilicals, flowlines, injector lines, and
riser bases. A summary of Phase 1 facilities and its expected footprint on the
seafloor is provided in Table 3.6.
TOTAL 2.3096
Table 3.7 Summary of Vessel and Helicopter Support Requirements for Jubilee Field
(through Field Life)
All construction and support vessels used by the project will operate in
compliance with their classification standards, including SOLAS Convention
requirements. All the vessels that are to be used for the project are either
relatively new or have had a recent refit. Specialist vessels with experienced
crews will be required for the installation of the infrastructure.
To enable the operational support vessels to cut engines and avoid engine
idling time, two deepwater buoys will be installed in the field for the
production phase. This will have the benefit of reducing greenhouse gas
emissions.
Export Tankers
All export tankers that will receive oil from the Jubilee FPSO will be vetted
prior to arriving in the territorial waters of Ghana. Tullow will require a copy
of the tankers’ assessment report (called a Q88 report) at least 10 days before
its arrival. These reports are to ensure that the tanker meets all maritime
regulations and standards (ie SOLAS, IMO). The Q88 report will help to
ensure that the export tanker:
Tullow’s Offtake Coordinator will assess the Q88 report and ensure it is valid
and that the vessel complies with all requirements. This will include
confirmation of ballast water management. Upon arrival at the FPSO 'port
limit', the vessel will be boarded by the Jubilee FPSO Mooring Master and
inspected. This inspection is intended to ensure that the vessel is properly
equipped and operational, has the required certification and that no defects
can be seen.
The main facilities to be used by the Jubilee Project are located at the Takoradi
Commercial Port, Takoradi Air Base and Sekondi Naval Base (Figure 3.22). A
description of the Sekondi-Takoradi facilities, current and planned, is
presented below.
The Tullow head office is located in Accra and currently provide logistics,
engineering, administration, legal, Information Technology, procurement,
finance and management oversight. From 2011 onwards the sub-surface (ie
reservoir engineering) and project management team will move to Accra.
Takoradi is one of Ghana’s main ports and between 1997 and 2006, the port
handled an average of 524 vessels per year (Figure 3.23), which comprises 37
percent of Ghana’s seaborne traffic. Berthing facilities at the port include eight
berths with lengths ranging between 120 and 225 m (Figure 3.24). The
maximum draft at the wharf is 10 m.
Tullow currently lease a number of areas for offices, storage and berths within
the Takoradi port area from GPHA (see Figure 3.25). Any upgrades of the
leased areas will require prior approval by the GPHA and the areas will be
handed back to GPHA once the areas are no longer required.
800
699
700
610
400
300
200
100
0
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Year
Figure 3.24 Onshore Base at Takoradi Port and Ghana Air Force Base at Takoradi
Takoradi Port
Dedicated berths have been leased by Tullow to service the Jubilee Project and
exploration activities (Figure 3.25). These will be required for the remainder of
the project life. Support vessels for offshore oil exploration activities are
serviced at berths 5 and 6. If there is insufficient space at Takoradi port on
occasion, support ships may use Sekondi Naval base.
During exploration activities, one support vessel called at the port each day on
average, with a maximum of four support vessel calls per day. Once the FPSO
has been installed and begins operations, a supply boat will visit the FPSO
once or twice a week, depending on the requirements for supplies. Additional
calls will be required during the construction activities.
Specific activities at the port that occur include bunkering, transfer of waste to
waste contractor, loading supplies for the MODU, FPSO and support ships,
and during construction the loading/unloading of seabed infrastructure.
A pre-deployment area will store and carry out pressure-test work of the
production trees. This work will be carried out by subsea equipment
specialists FMC in close conjunction with the Tullow well engineering team.
This will involve small quantities of potable water being used in an enclosed
isolated area for safety reasons given the high pressures that will be used.
This work is being undertaken at the port to avoid the need to transport
oversize loads (ie the production trees) through the city of Takoradi to
Tullow’s Air Base facilities. This area is 300 m2 and leased directly by Tullow.
A fully-bunded 500 m2 bulk drilling fluids facility has been constructed on the
main port quay and is operated MI Swaco and BJ cement. The maximum
storage capacity of the largest tank in the plant is 950 bbls and the bund
capacity is 2,000 bbls. These suppliers also lease two warehouses (3,850 m2
and 1,350 m2) from the GPHA for dry bulk goods such as cement and caustic
soda. Both warehouses are covered and well ventilated. There are spill
containment kits, including chemical retrieval tools, and absorbent material in
the warehouse. It should be noted that these are pre-existing facilities that
supply exploration and development phase drilling and are included for
completeness.
Tullow will build a secure chemical store inside the existing commercial
perimeter of Takoradi port to supply the operational phase. The store will be
a covered and fully bunded 50 m by 30 m building to be constructed on land
to be leased by Tullow from GHPA. Production chemicals to be stored
include oxygen scavengers (eg sodium bisulphite), biocides, scale inhibitors
(eg Phosphanate), corrosion inhibitors (eg Amine), acids and methanol.
Water Supply
Tullow has installed a new 600m3 potable water tank on the main quay near to
the drilling fluids storage area. This water is primarily used for the drilling
programme, which uses approximately 2,500 m3 of freshwater per month and
42,500m3 in total during the drilling programme. The total amount of
freshwater to be used during the well completion programme is estimated to
be between 400 m3 to and 800 m3. This will be used over a six month period.
Some additional water may be required (ie 50m3 per month for 6 months) to
supply the smaller construction vessels that do not have desalination plants.
The MODUs, FPSO and the major construction vessels will produce their own
potable water using onboard desalination plants. Pressure testing of pipelines
and vessels during construction will use inhibited seawater.
Tullow leases part of the Air force base and currently uses it to support
existing exploration and production drilling activities. Tullow will use these
(or similar) facilities for life of the project. Tullow has upgraded infrastructure
at the Takoradi Air Force base to develop efficient onshore storage and
support facilities for the Phase 1 drilling programme and the Phase 1 Jubilee
development and operation (Figure 3.26).
A disused aircraft hanger on the base has been converted into a warehouse,
with adjacent office space and meeting facilities for approximately 30 persons
dedicated to the running of Tullow’s facilities. A canteen and toilet block has
also been built.
A 40,000m2 area that will be used primarily as a pipeyard has been fenced and
lit for access control. The area will be used to store steel pipe/casing and well
construction and testing equipment.
To minimise Tullow heavy vehicle traffic affecting access to the air base by
other vehicles and pedestrians, a small access road to the Takoradi Air Force
base has been upgraded to segregate pedestrians from traffic.
Aviation fuel will be sourced from a new fuel farm located at the base that will
be commissioned by early 2010 and shared by the Ghana Air Force with oil
companies located at the base. NHV Aviation has been contracted to provide
service and operation of these machines.
Bay Court
Office and warehouse facilities have been leased by Tullow at the Bay Court
complex near the airport in Takoradi (Figure 3.26). High quality chrome
tubing and other delicate parts (eg electronics) will be stored at this location.
This will also form the main Takoradi regional office for Tullow.
3.6.1 Overview
This section describes the main project activities from the well completion
stage, through installation, commissioning, operations and decommissioning
after the predicted 20 year project lifetime.
For each well, subsurface safety valves will be installed to provide pressure
isolation and prevent pollution in the event of damage to the wellhead,
surface (mudline) isolation valves and flow control valve (subsea tree). For
producing wells downhole pressure and temperature gauges will be installed
to provide continuous data during the life of the wells. In addition, pressure
and temperature will be recorded at the subsea tree and throughout the
To prevent sand from the well face from entering the well completion, sand
control will be installed by hydraulically fracturing the reservoir rock and
placing a known size of synthetic gravel (sand) in the fractures. The gravel
prevents migration of sand into the well bore and a screen within the well
casing prevents the gravel from being transported back into the well with the
flow of hydrocarbons.
During well testing crude oil and gas are released to the surface and require to
be sent to the MODU flare for combustion. Typical well tests are likely to
consist of two combustion periods, each lasting approximately 24 hours,
however the amount of hydrocarbons combusted will depend on flow rates.
All emissions associated with the well test operations will be recorded as part
of the well reporting procedures.
Acoustic Array
Moorings
The initial activity will be to install three mooring clusters using the
positioning array. Each of the three mooring clusters will consist of three 3 m
by 6 m fabricated steel suction piles (one for each mooring line; a total of nine),
approximately 305 m of 13.7 cm chain, a length of spiral wire strand
(approximately 14 cm in diameter) and a temporary support buoy to support
the lines prior to the FPSO hook-up.
The work will be undertaken using a pair of large (60 to 75m ) 20,000 hp
anchor handling vessels (AHVs) or anchor handling tug supply (AHTS)
vessels and will last approximately two to four weeks. It is assumed that the
vessels will make two round trips to the shorebase for re-supply therefore the
FPSO Installation
The FPSO will retain the original marine engine and propulsion systems for
the transit from the conversion and pre-commissioning site in Singapore to the
installation site in Ghana. Hook-up of the FPSO to the mooring spread will be
performed by a Dynamically Positioned (DP) construction vessel with the
assistance of three AHVs mentioned above. The vessel will pick up the upper
end of the preinstalled mooring lines, move toward the FPSO and connect the
mooring wire to the FPSO turret. On completion of mooring the marine
engine/propulsion systems will be decommissioned in line with class
requirements.
Subsea Manifolds
Each of the eight subsea manifolds (five production, two water injection and
one gas injection) will be installed on the seafloor at various locations in the
Jubilee Field. The manifolds will be installed using a DP construction vessel
using the acoustic positioning system to control location and orientation.
Production manifolds will be mounted on suction piles equipped with short
steel extensions that will penetrate the sediments to approximately 30 m
(depending on the strength of the seabed sediments) and provide horizontal
resistance to movement and stability.
Installation of the flowlines (production, water injection and gas injection) will
be performed by a DP lay vessel (Figure 3.27) which will lower the flowlines
between the FPSO location and the manifolds or riser bases. Wells and
flowlines will both be connected to the manifolds or riser bases via jumpers to
link the sequenced manifolds and associated riser bases. The riser bases will
be connected via flexible risers up to the FPSO, which will be installed after
the FPSO is moored in place. The lay vessel will be re-supplied (with pipe,
material and fuel) either by supply vessel or cargo barges towed by tugs.
Risers
Installation of umbilical risers, production risers, and the gas and water
injection risers are required to complete the FPSO installation. All risers will
be suspended underneath the turret of the FPSO. A DP construction vessel
will perform the installation of the risers. The bottom end of the riser will first
be connected to the flowlines or riser base. The vessel will then move toward
the FPSO and will pass the top termination of the riser to the FPSO and
terminate on the turret deck.
Following leak testing, production flowlines and gas injection pipelines will
be flushed repeatedly with clean-filtered sea water to the sea through open
valves at each end. This is to clean out any remaining debris after the
installation works. The production and water injection flowlines will also be
flushed and left with inhibited sea water composed of biocide and corrosion
inhibitor. Dewatering or flushing operations will involve discharging the
treated water used for hydro-testing and circulating several equivalent
flowline volumes to sea. Production flowline contents will be discharged at
the surface while water injection and gas injection flowline contents will be
discharged subsea. Further information on the use and discharge of
commissioning fluids is provided in Section 3.7.3.
The well stream fluid will be stabilised and separated on board the FPSO and
the produced crude oil stored on board for subsequent export via export
tankers. Produced gas will be processed or compressed and used for fuel,
with surplus sent into the gas injection flowline. Produced water will be
treated to meet discharge emission limits and discharged overboard.
Water Injection
The electrical power generation system aboard the FPSO will consist of three
dual fuel turbine generator sets that can provide sufficient electrical power to
serve the entire facility. The gas turbine generators will typically have
electrical specifications of 11.0 kV, 3 phase, 60 Hz. Precise specifications will
be determined later during detailed engineering. Diesel engine power
emergency or back-up/black-start generators will have an output of 450 Vac, 3
phase, 60 Hz.
Within the Jubilee field all crude oil transfers and vessel movements will be
controlled via marine terminal procedures. The export tankers will not be
owned or operated by Tullow and will only be accepted to enter the exclusion
zone and offload oil following a structured tanker vetting process (see Section
3.4.13). Following approval, the export tanker will be boarded by the Tullow
Mooring Master before proceeding to the loading position with the FPSO.
Offloading of crude oil from the FPSO to the export tankers will be
undertaken using a tandem mooring system where the export tanker connects
to the FPSO bow to stern using a 100 m hawser and the oil is transferred via a
floating hose (see Figure 3.28). The floating hose will be 180 m long from the
stern offloading station, starting with a 0.5 m (20 inch) diameter section that
will split via a Y piece into two 0.4 m diameter (16 inch) hoses for connection
to the tanker inlet. A Marine Break Away Coupling is fitted in the 20” hose
close to the 16” branches (see Figure 3.29). The hawser system includes a
tension meter, recorder and alarm system which will display the mooring
system load in the main control room of the FPSO. If the tension limits are
reached, the export tanker will be alerted for hose disconnection and
unmooring. When not in use, the cargo transfer hose will be looped back to a
storage point on the starboard side of the FPSO.
During the approach and cargo transfer operation a 100 tonne bollard
holdback tug will assist the export tanker maintaining its position in relation to
the FPSO. The holdback tug will be operated by an experienced master on
long term contract to Tullow and reporting to the Tullow Mooring Master
during the entire operation.
After connecting the FPSO oil export hose to the export tanker loading
manifold, the pressure is slowly raised by the FPSO shipping pumps to the
operating pressure of approximately 7 atmospheres (bar) as a leak test.
During this time, all connections are visually inspected. At any point in the
operation should a leak be detected (ie visually, drop in pressure), the system
can be shut down. Drip plans are in place to catch any leak should it occur
and also to catch residue oil once the hoses are disconnected.
The export hose assembly undertakes a formal pressure test every two years
or after a component change out (eg hose section change). The formal
pressure test is completed with water taken to a test pressure aligned with the
hose rating of 12 bar. The hose is also inspected prior to each transfer.
Export
Tanker
Offloading
Hawser
Floating
Hose String
An FPSO support multi service vessel (MSV - see Figure 3.30) will also be the
primary means of transporting the lifting crew from the FPSO to the export
tanker and will assist in berthing and un-berthing of the shuttle tanker. The
FPSO MSV support vessel will be in position during export tanker berthing,
ready to intervene by pushing the nose of the tanker out of the direction of the
FPSO in the event of an export tanker engine, or hold back vessel, failure. In
addition the support vessel will have fire-fighting and spill response
capabilities.
The hawser will be handed over to the export tanker by a separate 500 hp
daughter vessel that will reside on the FPSO MSV support vessel. The
daughter vessel will carry out the hawser handling duties as well as floating
cargo hose inspections. The hawser will be equipped with an emergency
release system that will be manned during mooring and transfer.
The following measures will be put in place by Tullow to reduce the risk of
export tanker collisions during offloading operations.
• Qualified and competent FPSO lifting crews, export tanker crews and
mooring master to be onboard. Training and competency verification of
crews and regular exercises and drills.
Export tankers in the Jubilee field for cargo transfers may only discharge clean
ballast water meeting MARPOL standards. This will form part of the tanker
vetting procedure. The Jubilee FPSO and visiting export tankers will
undertake ballast water management measures in accordance with the
International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships Ballast Water
and Sediments. This includes ballast exchange at sea, to minimise the transfer
of organisms. The FPSO has permanent, separate ballast tanks and there will
be routine discharge of clean ballast water from the FPSO to maintain the
proper draft during production and cargo loading cycles.
Tank Venting
All FPSO cargo tanks are maintained in a pressurised state and the vapour
space created in the storage tanks of the FPSO is filled with an inert gas. The
purpose of maintaining the inert condition of the void spaces in the storage
tanks is to avoid the potential for oxygen ingress and thus a fire or explosion.
All excess inert gas is vented during cargo tank filling operations. The inert
gas emissions from the FPSO are dispersed via a cold vent line located on the
LP gas flare tower. A Vapour Recovery Unit (VRU) will be installed to collect
the vapours from the gas treatment system’s TEG dehydration reboiler unit to
mitigate the venting of aromatic hydrocarbon compounds that can be released
by these units.
Flaring
Short-term flaring is also likely at the Jubilee FPSO during the initial
commissioning period of three to six months where the gas compression is
brought to steady state. Pre-commissioning of gas handling and compression
systems in the Singapore dockyard prior to vessel sailing to Ghana will reduce
the offshore time required to complete later commissioning and will therefore
reduce the volumes of gas that may have to be flared in the Jubilee field.
1000 Total gas plateau production rate associated with 120,000 bbls oil per day before fuel use
900 Total gas plateau production rate associated with 120,000 bbls oil per day after downtime (assumed 95% at
steady-state) and fuel use (assume 18 MMscfd on plateau)
800
Estimated Gas Volume / Week - MMscf
200
0
1
11
13
15
17
19
21
23
25
27
29
31
33
35
Weeks After First Oil
It is possible that additional seismic data will be required over the Jubilee
field, either to improve on the existing datasets with newer technology or as a
component of an ongoing monitoring of fluid migration within the reservoir
due to production. If this is required, the acquisition would most likely occur
three to five years after first oil and would be the subject of a separate permit
submission to the EPA. Tullow will implement specific environmental
mitigation measures that will be developed in a management plan, with a
focus on marine mammal protection.
3.6.10 Decommissioning
Tullow’s head office in Accra will provide the overall business management
for the project. There are currently over 80 staff based in Accra and 35 staff
based at the logistics and operations support base in Takoradi. Staff numbers
in both areas will grow as the project develops.
The estimated manning levels across the various phases of the project are
indicated in Table 3.8. This includes the current status with drilling activity,
followed by installation and operation of the FPSO and export tanker and
support vessel operations. It should be noted that these figures are estimates
and will vary with activity levels.
The projected number of job opportunities for Ghanaians at the start of the
project is also noted and this will increase over the project life. Tullow and its
contractors are committed to the development of national staff and capacity
for the oil industry in Ghana. Tullow has set a local content target of 90
percent Ghanaian staff and direct contract personnel across all disciplines
within four to eight years from the end of 2008.
Table 3.9 outlines projected emissions of these pollutants from the main project
activities. Estimated Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are provided in
Table 3.10. Detailed calculations, assumptions and emissions factors used are
included in Annex E.
Table 3.9 Estimated Air Pollutant Emissions for the Jubilee Field, Phase 1 Development
Table 3.10 Estimated Greenhouse Gas Emissions for the Jubilee Phase 1 Development
Well Flowback
During well completions upper completion and well flowback fluids will be
flared off after use. Table 3.11 provides a provisional list of fluids and volumes
to be flared during well completions.
The FPSO facility and associated support vessels and export tankers will
produce a series of discharges including black water, grey water, produced
water and miscellaneous discharges (ie bilge water, deck drainage and cooling
water). FPSO discharges will continue for the life of the Phase 1 development.
The discharges and treatment systems are summarised in Table 3.15 at the end
of this section. Water discharges will comply with Ghanaian standards or
industry standards in the absence of appropriate Ghanaian standards.
Produced Water
A three stage water treatment process for produced water has been specified
which has the ability to direct all water to tanks and re-process the water, if
the water specification to sea does not meet the specified requirements.
• Stage 1: All of the produced water removed from the FPSO process trains
is collected in the water collection or skim vessel. Skimmed hydrocarbons
are removed and directed to the off-spec tank in the hull.
• Stage 2: The separated produced water is then pumped out of the skim
vessel to the de-oiling hydrocyclone units.
• Stage3: The partially treated produced water from the hydrocyclone units
is pumped into gas flotation cells. Gas is induced into the produced water
inlet stream. The hydrocarbon layer formed at the top of the vessel is
periodically skimmed off and directed to the off-spec tank in the hull. The
treated water is pumped out of the flotation cell and directed through the
produced water cooler prior to overboard discharge.
(1) World Bank IFC “Offshore EHS Guidelines for Offshore Oil and Gas Development”: 29 ppm monthly average; 42 ppm
daily average oil content and no visible sheen.
(2) Oslo-Paris Commission (OSPAR): 30 ppm maximum oil content
(3) US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Gulf of Mexico NPDES general permit (permit #GMG290000): 29 ppm
monthly average; 42 ppm daily maximum oil content and no visible sheen
30.0
25.0
Volume (Mstb/d)
20.0
High
15.0 Mid
Low
10.0
5.0
0.0
09
11
13
15
17
19
21
23
25
27
29
31
33
35
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
Years
Black water (ie sewage or sanitary effluent), consisting of human body wastes
from toilets and urinals, will be treated using a marine sanitation device that
treats the waste and produces an effluent with a minimum residual chlorine
concentration of 1.0 mg/l and no visible floating solids or oil and grease. Grey
water (ie domestic waste) includes water from showers, sinks, laundries,
galleys, safety showers and eye-wash stations. According to MARPOL, grey
water does not require treatment before discharge.
It is assumed that one person generates 100 l/d of black water and 220 l/d of
grey water. It is predicted that sanitary wastes have an associated biological
oxygen demand (BOD) of 240 mg/l. BOD estimates for domestic waste are
Deck Drainage
Deck drainage consists of liquid waste resulting from rainfall, rig washing,
deck washings, tank cleaning operations, and runoff from curbs and gutters,
including drip pans and work areas. The FPSO has been designed to contain
runoff and prevent oily drainage from being discharged directly to the ocean.
Deck drainage that may contain oil is diverted to separation systems
depending on the area collected. There will be no discharge of free oil in deck
drainage that would cause a film, sheen or discoloration of the surface of the
water or a sludge or emulsion to be deposited beneath the surface of the
water.
Only non-oily water (ie 15 ppm oil and grease, maximum instantaneous oil
discharge monitor reading) will be discharged overboard. If the deck becomes
contaminated, oily deck drainage will be contained by absorbents or collected
by a pollution pan for recycling and/or disposal. Assuming a surface area of
20,000 m2 for the FPSO and a maximum monthly rainfall amount of 170 mm,
the monthly average deck drainage would be 3,400 m3 (3.4 x 106 l). Deck
washes may account for an additional 200 m3 (approximately) per month.
Cooling Water
On the FPSO cooling water is a closed loop system with a top-up from the
Reverse Osmosis (RO) unit. Cooling water discharges are expected to be
minimal given the closed loop system. In the event that cooling water is
required to be discharged via service valves the temperature of the cooling
water discharges is expected to be 55ºC (mean) with a range of 32 to 60 ºC.
This will be infrequent, probably required no more than twice a year during
maintenance periods, given the closed loop nature of the systems.
A typical marine diesel propulsion engine can use 1.2 l per minute (lpm) of
cooling water. Using the heat transfer/cooling water requirements for this
engine as the basis for extrapolation to other diesel engines, the approximate
discharge rates of once-through engine-cooling water for diesel engines would
be:
Bilge Water
Support vessels will occasionally discharge treated bilge water. These vessels
will comply with the applicable sections of MARPOL. Under these
regulations, water must be retained onboard until it could be discharged to an
approved reception facility, unless it is treated by approved oily water
separators and monitoring equipment before being discharged to the sea.
Vessels must employ approved equipment, examined and tested in
accordance with the specifications and requirements of the IMO Guidelines
and Specifications for Pollution Prevention Equipment for Machinery Space
Bilges of Ships.
Ballast Water
On the FPSO the primary means of maintaining an even keel, stability and
trim will be through management of the distribution of crude oil within the
storage tanks, therefore the requirement for ballast water intake and discharge
will be minimal. In the event that ballasting is required the ballast pump is
capable of pumping at a rate of 5,000 m3/hr. Ballast water will be segregated
into dedicated ballast tanks.
Desulphation System
To maintain pressure in the oil reservoirs to aid oil production, water injection
is required. The water will be sourced from seawater which can produce
barium sulphate and strontium sulphate scale when mixed with the reservoir
water, which in high concentrations will reduce or even block oil production
from the wells and accumulate throughout the flowlines, piping and vessels.
Therefore, as part of the design of the sea water injection system on the FPSO
sulphate ions must be reduced to a level to mitigate this risk later in field life.
A Sulphate Removal Unit (SRU) on the FPSO will be installed to treat the sea
water once it has been filtered and de-aerated.
The SRU will also produce a discharge stream of sulphate rich seawater at an
estimated maximum rate of 100,000 bwpd. The discharge will contain several
chemicals used in the system, the most significant of which being an
intermittent discharge of biocide (approximately 200 ppm) to control
organism growth which would cause bio-fouling in the topside facilities. A
biocide will be selected with the lowest possible risk of environmental harm,
capable of achieving operational objectives.
Completion Fluids
Chemical Function
Potential usage Disposal CHARM OCNS
(estimated per Rating Category
well)
CaCl2 Completion 845 T Re-use as much as N/A E
brine possible or (PLONOR)
overboard discharge
CELITE 545 Diatomaceous 5.3 T Overboard N/A E
Earth Filter discharge once (PLONOR)
Aid tested
Tetraclean-105 Surfactant 5.9 T Overboard Gold N/A
discharge once
tested
Tetraclean-106 Surfactant 3.3 T Overboard N/A E
Booster discharge once (PLONOR)
tested
Three of these chemicals are essentially non-toxic and are rated as ‘pose little
or no risk’ (PLONOR) according to the OSPAR Offshore Chemical
Notification Scheme (OCNS) (Category E)(1). The OCNS provides hazard
assessments on chemical products that are used offshore using a dispersion
model (known as the CHARM model(2)) to calculate the ratio of Predicted
Effect Concentration against No Effect Concentration (PEC: NEC) and is
(1) OCNS – developed by the Oslo/Paris Commission, groups chemicals according to their environmental effect.
Groupings are from A to E and indicate the potential environmental effect of chemical discharge to the marine environment
with grouping E being those with least potential for adverse environmental effect.
(2) CHARM - requires offshore chemicals to be ranked according to their calculated Hazard Quotients (HQ). Chemicals on
the OSPAR List of Substances / Preparations Used and Discharged Offshore which are Considered to Pose Little or No
Risk to the Environment (PLONOR) do not need to undergo CHARM. The ratio of the Predicted Environmental
Concentration (PEC) (ie concentration of chemical to which environment is exposed) to the predicted No Effect
Concentration (NEC) (ie estimate of concentration level that no adverse effects are to be expected) is calculated and is called
the Risk Quotient (RQ). If the RQ is >1 then there is predicted to be an effect on the environment; if the RQ is 1 then
predicted effects/no effects are the same; if the RQ is <1 then there is no predicted effect upon the environment. If the RQ
value exceeds 1 then the operator must either substitute another chemical OR justify the discharge.
Before any fluids are discharged overboard they will be tested for oil content
as follows: maximum one day oil and grease discharge should not exceed
42 mg/l; 30 day average should not exceed 29 mg/l as per IFC (2007a) EHS
Guidelines discharge levels. If the oil content is greater than the specification
above then the relevant returned fluids will be retained on the vessel in closed
systems (such as tote tanks) and shipped for onshore disposal. If the oil
content is below the specification then the fluids will be discharged to sea.
Prior to injecting into the water injection wells the water treatment facilities
will be commissioned. During this process approximately 30,000 m3 of
deoxygenated sea water will be discharged overboard. In addition,
deoxygenated and filtered sea water will be pumped through the subsea
flowlines and manifolds to flush the subsea system. Four line flushes are
planned with an overall volume of 5,000 m3 of deoxygenated and filtered sea
water.
For the long term storage of the umbilical tubing including transportation,
installation and post installation testing, SST5007 umbilical storage fluid (40%
MEG) is used. The volume (approximately 15.0 m3) within the umbilicals will
be discharged at the seafloor once the umbilicals are commissioned.
Approximately 4.0 m3 of methanol will also be displaced in this umbilical
flushing process.
Workover Fluids
Hydrate Inhibitor
Hydraulic Fluid
Subsea hydraulically operated manifold and tree valves will be actuated using
an electro-hydraulic subsea control system. The subsea control system will
use Oceanic HW443 control fluid which is a water based glycol and has an
OCNS Group D rating. Small volumes of hydraulic fluid will be vented from
the control system equipment when given a command to close. This will
result in the discharge of approximately 45 l of hydraulic fluid per year (based
on 14 valves releases every three months each discharging an average of 0.8 l),
although the exact quantities discharged depend on the frequency of
operation of the subsea valves. Valves on water and gas injection manifolds
are ROV actuated, so they will not release any fluid.
Produced water, having been in contact with various rock strata at elevated
pressure and temperature, contains many soluble components including
barium and the radioactive intermediates of the uranium and thorium decay
series. As the water is produced from the wells the temperature and pressure
decreases creating conditions in which the barium and radionuclides can co-
precipitate inside separators, valves and pipework, forming an insoluble
naturally-occurring radioactive material (NORM) scale. Some of the soluble
radionuclides and particles of NORM scale can pass through the system and
be discharged with the produced water. Similarly, some particulate scale and
soluble radionuclides can be entrained with the exported oil.
No NORM scales or sludges are expected for the Phase 1 Jubilee development
project. From recent well Pressure Volume Temperature (PVT) samples, only
very low traces of barium (max 25 ppm) were detected. Therefore, no
significant barium sulphate scale is expected. However, as a contingency, a
water injection sulphate removal unit will be installed on the FPSO for
removal of the sulphates from injection water. In addition, to prevent scale
formation, there will also be capability to inject scale inhibitor into the well
and process facilities.
Discharge and Treatment Discharge Point (s) and Volume Limit Standard
Source Location
Black Water Treat with approved Single; holding tank storage; Variable depending on number of personnel. • Achieves no visible floating Annex IV
sanitation unit. discharge overboard Estimated 100 l per person per day. solid MARPOL
Maceration and Well completions: MODU: 100 personnel, 10,000 • No discolouration of
Chlorination l/d; Support vessels: 52 personnel, 5,200 l/d surrounding water
FPSO installation: FPSO and Support vessels: 200 • < 1.0 mg/l chlorine
personnel, 20,000 l/d concentration
Subsea equipment installation: 3 vessels, 60
personnel, 6,000 l/d
FPSO Operations: 80 personnel, 8,000 l/d
Support vessels: 26 personnel, 2,600 l/d
Export Tanker: 50 personnel, 5,000 l/d
Grey water Remove floating solids Single; holding tank storage; Total volumes variable, depending upon number • No visible floating solids or Annex IV
discharge overboard of personnel. discoloration of surrounding MARPOL
Gray water discharges estimated at 220 l per water
person per day.
Support Vessels (AHTS and work boat): 52
personnel, 11,440 l/d
FPSO Installation: FPSO and support vessels: 200
personnel, 44,000 l/d
Subsea equipment installation: 3 vessels, est. 60
personnel, 13,200 l/d
FPSO Operations: 80 personnel (maximum),
17,600 l/d; Support Vessels, installation: 26
personnel, 5,720 l/d;
Export Tanker: est. 50 personnel, 11,000 l/d
3-78
Discharge and Treatment Discharge Point (s) and Volume Limit Standard
Source Location
Produced Water Oil-water separation Single; holding tank storage; FPSO: Low levels during initial production; • Oil and grease not to IFC and USEPA
discharge overboard discharge rate of 6 Mbbl/d is expected over exceed 42 mg/l daily 2007; Also
project lifetime with a peak discharge rate of 18.4 maximum or 29 mg/l complies with
Mbbl/d. Maximum level for Phase 1 facility monthly average. OSPAR 2001
installed is 80 Mbbl/d. (OSPAR 01/18/1,
Annex 5) 30 ppm
monthly average
oil content and
North Sea UK 30
ppm monthly
average and 100
ppm daily average
oil content
Deck Drainage Oil-water separation Single, discharge overboard Deck drainage water generation variable, • No free oil; Annex 1 MARPOL
depending upon facility and vessel • 15 mg/l instantaneous
characteristics, rainfall amounts; discharge reading oil water threshold
volumes variable. • 20 mg/l (monthly weighted
FPSO: 11,000 l/d average) oil water threshold.
3.4 x 106 l
Bilge Water Oil-water separation Single, discharge overboard Bilge water generation variable, depending upon • No free oil; Annex I MARPOL
facility and vessel characteristics; discharge • 15 mg/l instantaneous
volumes variable reading oil water threshold
FPSO: 110 bbl/d (est.) • 20 mg/l (monthly weighted
Support Vessels: 110 bbl/d (est.) average) oil water threshold.
Export Tanker: 100 bbl/d (est.)
3-79
Discharge and Treatment Discharge Point (s) and Volume Limit Standard
Source Location
Ballast Water Oil-water separation Single; Discharge overboard FPSO: 5 x 106 l per hour • No free oil; Annex I MARPOL
• 15 mg/l instantaneous
reading oil water threshold International
• 20 mg/l (monthly weighted Convention for the
average) oil water threshold. Control and
• Ballast water exchange at Management of
least 200 nautical miles from Ships' Ballast
nearest land in water at least Water and
200 metres deep. The Sediments
absolute minimum being 50
nautical miles.
Cooling Water Oil-water separation Single, discharge overboard Pass through cooling water for internal - -
combustion engines; volumes variable.
Completion and • Oil-water Single, discharge overboard Estimated volumes per well: • Maximum one day oil and IFC (2007) and
Well Workover separation grease discharge should not USEPA (2007)
Fluids • Any acids used will • Calcium chloride (CaCl2) (Completion brine) exceed 42 mg/l; 30 day
be neutralised to 845 tonnes average should not exceed
pH 5-7 by addition • CELITE 545 (Diatomaceous Earth Filter Aid) 29 mg/l.
of soda ash prior to 5.3 tonnes • Any spent acids will be
any discharge • Tetraclean-105 (Surfactant) 5.9 tonnes neutralised (to attain a pH of
• Tetraclean-106 (Surfactant Booster) 3.3 5 to 7) before testing and
tonnes disposal.
Riser, umbilical None Primarily subsea discharge • Clariant TROS 55 solution: 5,000 m3 • Treatment chemicals: USEPA 2007
and pipeline with some near surface • Deoxygenated seawater : 35,000 m3 maximum manufacturers
commissioning discharge • Monoethylene glycol: 50-100 m3 recommended dose or 500
• SST5007: 15 m3 mg/l
• MeOH : 4 m3 • No Free Oil
3-80
Discharge and Treatment Discharge Point (s) and Volume Limit Standard
Source Location
Hydrate None Single, discharge overboard Discharge in batch mode only during unplanned -
Inhibitor and planned system shutdowns.
Hydraulic None Multiple subsurface discharge Subsea trees: 45 l/yr assuming normal valve - -
Fluids operations
Brine None Single, discharge overboard Brine generated during freshwater generation; • No Free Oil USEPA 2007
volumes variable.
FPSO: 35 to 50 m3/d;
Support Vessels: NA;
Export Tanker: 30 to100 bbl/d
Desulphation None Single discharge overboard FPSO reject stream: 100,000 bwpd - -
Reject Stream FPSO Filter backwash: 10,000 bwpd
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3.8.4 Noise
The main project activities associated with noise are discussed in Section 3.5.
For the Phase 1 Jubilee Project, activities can be grouped under the following
phases:
• well completions;
• FPSO and infrastructure installation; and
• production.
• Propeller and Thrusters (where fitted). Noise from propellers and thrusters is
predominately caused by cavitation around the blades whilst transiting at
speed or operating thrusters under load in order to maintain a vessel’s
position. Noise produced is typically broadband noise, with some low
tonal peaks.
Indicative sound levels and frequency ranges for vessels and subsea
equipment are presented in Chapter 5.
Some wastes generated during the project may be appropriate for disposal
offshore such as sewage and grey water, food, and other organic wastes (see
Section 3.7.2). This section describes those wastes that will be required to be
transferred onshore for treatment, recycling, and/or disposal at appropriate
facilities. A Waste Management Plan was developed for the drilling phase
and this will be updated to include the requirements of the FPSO installation
and long term operations.
The volumes, and to a lesser degree types, of waste produced will vary
according to the stage of the project development. During initial installation
and commissioning, operational and decommissioning phases, the nature and
quantities of the materials generated will vary. The majority of waste will
result from the following sources.
• FPSO (and associated supply vessels) that form the centre of operations
during commissioning and production phases.
Categorisation of Wastes
• Hazardous Wastes exhibit one or more characteristics which mean that the
wastes are potentially harmful to health and/or cause damage to the
environment (land, water contamination, air pollution). For example, the
waste may be corrosive, reactive, toxic, mutagenic, teratogenic, infectious,
carcinogenic, ecotoxic, flammable, or explosive.
The approach to predicting the waste arising from the FPSO and related
activities has been informed by actual waste generated from similar FPSO
projects that are now operational.
FPSO Waste
• cabin domestic waste, such as mixed waste from living quarters or galley;
• scrap metal, eg off-cuts and turnings;
• wood, eg pallets, cartons;
• paper and cardboard;
• metal cans (aluminium and steel) from food;
• plastics, eg crushed plastic drinks bottles;
• maintenance cables; and
• glass.
The estimated upper and lower volumes of non-hazardous waste that will be
produced by the construction and operation of the Jubilee Field FPSO is
presented in Table 3.16.
MODU Wastes
The MODU and support vessels will produce mostly general and scrap metal
wastes and relatively small amounts of hazardous wastes. However, the scale
and nature of waste will vary as the duties change from drilling to well
development.
Records from the first 10 months of 2009 show that the MODU and support
vessels generated 1,032.8m3 of general waste, 389.5m3 of wood waste, 145.2m3
of scrap metal, 513.1m3 of oily waste and 25.3m3 of other hazardous wastes.
The quantities of waste generated in 2010 should be similar in total for MODU
activities as these will not vary greatly, although this will depend on the total
scope of the drilling program undertaken.
• Oily waste including pure oil, water/waste oil, oily sludge and slops are
treated at Takoradi thermal power stations’ oily waste water treatment
plant.
• Paint cans: all empty paint cans are crushed and stored pending
development of appropriate management solution.
• Steel drums: are first drained and then crushed/punctured before adding
to other metal waste for recycling at Western Castings Limited. Oily slops
are added to waste stream treated at the Takoradi thermal power station.
The supply base in Takoradi will produce mostly general and scrap metal
wastes and relatively small amounts of hazardous wastes. However, the scale
and nature of waste will vary as the duties of such bases change from support
of drilling and installation and construction to operation of the FPSO. Records
from the first 10 months of 2009 show that the Takoradi base facilities
generated 65.0m3 of general waste, 6.5m3 of wood waste and 1.0m3 of oily
waste. The quantities of waste generated in 2010 will increase by
approximately 100% over 2009 levels (ie during FPSO and subsea installation)
but the waste streams will remain primarily general waste, scrap steel
(recycled) and wood used for packaging and dunnage. Some waste oil will
also be generated. Post–construction, the quantities will revert to lower levels.
3.9.1 Introduction
The project will also comply with safety requirements outlined in Ghanaian
legislation and regulations that cover shore based operations. These include
the following.
The FPSO design must satisfy requirements set out by the IMO (see above)
and, for the Jubilee Project, the ship classification society American Bureau of
Shipping (ABS). The purpose of a classification society is to evaluate floating
vessels, including FPSOs, against the structural and mechanical standards
The ABS has certified that the design for the Jubilee FPSO hull and topside
processing facilities complies with the Classification Societies rules for a
Floating Production and Offloading System. An independent technical
authority will constantly review construction of the Jubilee FPSO to verify
compliance with the certified design. The final stage in the process to attain
classification is a survey of the FPSO by ABS once construction is completed.
In addition to the ABS and IMO requirements listed above, various industry
standards (eg RP 2SK Recommended Practice for Design and Analysis of
Station Keeping Systems for Floating Structures) will apply to the FPSO.
It should be noted that whilst the discussion above has focused on the FPSO,
class specific standards also apply to other ships involved in the project.
Regular maintenance will be undertaken to verify ongoing compliance with
stipulated IMO standards and class requirements.
Safety Case
In addition to the requirements of ABS, the Jubilee joint venture partners have
agreed to undertake a Safety Case on the project design, which will be based
upon the protocol used for North Sea operations (see Section 3.3.1). The Safety
Case will be used to help develop the safety management system for the FPSO
as well as to make sure that the design is modified accordingly; eg provisions
for evacuation and rescue, safe refuge for personnel in the event of an
emergency and fire systems are fit for purpose.
Hierarchy of Control
Tullow will apply the following hierarchy of control principles to reduce risks
identified in the design and operation of the FPSO (and other operations) to as
low as practicably possible.
The FPSO must have adequate structural strength and remaining fatigue life
to cover transit, installation and operation in the field. The Jubilee FPSO has
an expected minimum remaining fatigue life of 20 years and has been
designed for the site specific environmental operating conditions at the Jubilee
Field in Ghana, without the need to access dry docking facilities.
The FPSO has also been designed to withstand the “design environmental
conditions”, which are the extreme weather conditions of wind, waves, and
current. ABS requires that 100-year storm data be used (see Figure 3.4 and
Table 3.1).
Mooring System
As described in Section 3.3.1, the FPSO will employ a turret system with a
universal joint that allows the vessel to freely turn freely 360° around the
vertical axis to align itself with the prevailing wind, wave and current
conditions (ie the FPSO weather vanes). This provides added safety to the
offloading process as both vessels (ie FPSO and export tanker) will be aligned
one behind the other, reducing risk of collision. Allowing the FPSO to
weather vane will reduce fatigue to personnel as well as reducing metal
fatigue on the hull.
The fire and gas protection system will be monitored from the central control
room on the FPSO and is designed to provide early detection of any hazards,
initiate appropriate mitigations (operational shutdowns and active fire
suppression and protection) and to facilitate the safe evacuation of personnel.
The system is also designed to provide rapid automatic emergency shutdown
and blow-down of gas inventories. The active fire protection system and
equipment will be designed in accordance with ABS Class requirements to
contain local fires to prevent escalation, to protect escape and evacuation
routes and provide cooling for equipment and structure. The active fire
protection system and equipment will include the following:
• firewater system;
• foam system;
• gaseous (CO2) fire extinguishing system;
• water mist system; and
• portable fire extinguishers.
To reduce the risk of fire, the FPSO will have intrinsically safe systems in
hazardous process areas, following the requirements of ABS Class Rules and
in particular API-RP505 for classification of Hazardous Areas. The design will
follow International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) equipment selection
and installation methods plus the following:
Emergency Evacuation
There will be at least one SOLAS life jacket per person in readily accessible
locations adjacent to each lifeboat station.
The FPSO also has a safe refuge for personnel in the event of an emergency.
Other design features that improve safety on the FPSO include the following.
• Crude oil stage tanks are blanketed with nitrogen, an inert gas, to maintain
a safe environment for loading and discharging crude oil.
• Shutdown systems are built in to close off the flow and contain
hydrocarbons under pressure in an emergency and allowing
depressurisation via the flare stack.
Offshore Safety
Procedures for the FPSO are currently under development by Tullow and
MODEC. These will be completed during the first half of 2010 and will be
used to train personnel before commissioning.
Section 3.4.13 outlines the vetting process that Tullow will undertake to
confirm that the export tankers are fit for purpose and are safe for the task.
Aviation support operations are managed by the aviation team based in Accra
and Takoradi. Procedures are included within the Takoradi Supply base
operating guidelines manual and cover the following.
• General aviation.
• Planning of personnel movements / offshore passenger handling.
• Requirements for personnel travelling offshore.
• Takoradi Heliport facilities and check in process.
• Airfreight and hazardous substances.
• Monthly reporting.
• Medivac by helicopter.
Aircraft will be operated and managed in accordance with the standards laid
down in the OGP Aircraft Management Guidelines Report No. 390 (July 2008).
Flight operations will be conducted under the aircraft manufacturers Flight
Manual and NHV Operations Manual which is approved in accordance with
JAR OPS 3. Maintenance will be conducted under EASA Part 145 approvals.
Only passengers who have completed the offshore survival training course
will be allowed offshore to work unless in possession of a dispensation. All
passengers will receive a briefing before departure which will include safety
information and actions to be taken in case of emergency. Hearing protection
will be provided in the helicopters.
Safety for onshore activities will follow Ghanaian laws and international
practices for similar operations. The key areas are described below.
Vehicle Safety
All Jubilee Project vehicles and drivers will comply with the Road Traffic Act,
2004 (Act 683). Procedures will be put in place to cover the following.
• To ensure all vehicles are roadworthy and in good condition. Vehicles will
be maintained on a regular basis, with safety checks of essential parts
completed. In addition, heavy vehicles will have a pre-shift check by the
operators to ensure the vehicle is in good running order.
• Load weights and dimensions on heavy vehicles will comply with national
requirements and local conditions. Vehicles with loads are checked prior
to leaving the site.
It should be noted that the need to transport oversize loads through the city of
Takoradi has been eliminated by the lease of facilities at the Takoradi
commercial port where the oversize loads will be temporarily stored prior to
shipment to the field. Heavy vehicles used for transporting pipes, casing or
materials will follow the main Axim Road from the Shore Base facilities (ie Air
Force base and Bay Court) to the port, which is the approved route for heavy
vehicles.
A number of regulations are in place to manage the safe handling and storage
of materials. These include the following.
• Explosives Regulations 1970 (LI 666) regulate the transport, use, handling
and storage of explosives. A small amount of explosives are intermittently
• Labour Act requires the safety and absence of risks to health in connection
with use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances.
Tullow will design chemical storage areas to comply with the HAZCHEM
system of storing and segregating dangerous goods, which is based on the
United Nations system. Segregation means keeping incompatible goods apart
from one another, using either a physical barrier or intervening space,
depending on requirements. Chemicals must be segregated when either
stored or shipped to ensure they do not mix in case of spillage. The
HAZCHEM system also aids emergency responders to quickly recognise
dangerous goods, their properties and dangers, thereby enabling them to
respond in the most appropriate manner. HAZCHEM signs shall be placed
wherever chemicals are stored.
Buildings
Buildings used by Tullow must be fit for purpose and comply with Ghana
regulations. The main aspects include the following.
Personnel receive initial and refresher training to ensure they are competent to
carry out their designated roles and responsibilities in a crisis or emergency.
Equipment, facilities and trained personnel for crisis management and
emergency response are identified and readily available. An assessment of
emergency equipment needs will take place every six months and / or post
exercise.
• To table top oil and gas scenarios through government to ensure accurate
involvement, contacts and reporting.
Resources