The company has also reported start up from the Don Southwest production well DR2z, following the recent drilling of a sidetrack well.
Between April 2009 and mid-February 2010, oil export was delivered via shuttle tankers loading from a single anchor leg (SAL) mooring system, which was susceptible to interruption from severe weather. As originally planned, export has now switched to a permanent pipeline export route via Lundin’s Thistle platform.
The company said that the new system is expected to reduce interruption and improve production stability and export operations.
Lundin began modification of the Thistle platform in late 2008, which included the installation of a new flexible riser hang off platform. The final tie-ins and pipeline commissioning operations were completed by the end of February 2010.
In addition to the pipeline export milestone being reached, the second of the Don Southwest production wells (P-02-DR2z) came on stream shortly after the permanent export route became available. The completion of this well and the demobilization of the John Shaw drilling rig earlier in the month allowed access for a dive support vessel to complete water injection tie-ins at Don SW at the beginning of this week.
Injection to the Don SW field is now also underway, performance of production and injection is being assessed, but early indications are that well performance has been positive, the company said. A stage two drilling program at Don SW is scheduled to commence in second quarter of 2010 when the Transocean John Shaw returns from a period of shoreside upgrade.
