NPD report into unmanned wellhead platforms

Hot on the heels of the NSRI’s report into solutions for small pools, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) is expected to publish the results of a study into Unmanned Wellhead Platforms (UWPs) before Easter.

Last October, the NPD said it would like UWPs to be considered more often as an alternative to subsea tie-backs and announced it had commissioned a study to identify the benefits and disadvantages of using UWPs as a development concept.

UWPs consist of a fixed substructure installed on the seabed with dry wellheads located on the platform deck, offering a cost-effective alternative to subsea wells where the wellheads are placed on the seabed. There are various types of unmanned wellhead platforms – from simple facilities to more advanced solutions including process equipment.

Arguments in favour of UWP concepts, which are currently under consideration for several licenses on the Norwegian continental shelf, are that they could be “an efficient development solution in terms of both cost and production”, according toNiels Erik Hald, principal engineer for the NPD. He states that UWPs are “just as functional and robust as a subsea development, and it is also more accessible for inspection and maintenance.”

The study is expected to demonstrate that UWPs are a viable concept for future field developments as a replacement or supplement to conventional platforms or subsea wells. We will review the results of the study on this blog when the NPD release the final report, within the next few weeks.