Sea Stork is a
new type of offshore shallow water production facility. It offers
significant cost reductions over current alternative facilities, either
platform-based or subsea, and will allow the development of currently
non-viable marginal fields.
Sea
Stork uses proven technology in an innovative way giving a
very low cost, unmanned oil or gas production facility. It is a
self-installing structure requiring the minimum of marine vessels and
no specialised or heavy lift vessels.
Sea Stork’s unique feature is a reinforced concrete
cylindrical process chamber open to the atmosphere and located at the
base of the structure directly above the seabed. This chamber is large
enough to accommodate up to four conventional wellheads and associated
trees, together with all the process equipment necessary for the onward
transportation of the fluids to related offshore production units or to
the shore.
Postbox Address:
Ocean
Resource
Ocean House 27A Welsh Street Chepstow Monmouthshire NP16
5LN UK
The Sea
Stork process module is accessed via a shaft to
the surface. The shaft provides direct access to the wells for drilling
or workover, a route for ventilation air, an access way for maintenance
personnel and a protected escape route. The shaft terminates in a boat
deck or a lightweight steel structure for helicopter operations.
Sea Stork
greatly reduces the risk of environmental pollution. With all wellheads
and process equipment at seabed level, even a major collision is
unlikely to compromise the integrity of the hydrocarbons process
equipment and pipework. Such an impact will lead to a controlled
shutdown offering the potential for repair with the minimum disruption
to production.
As a general
guide, Sea Stork
is around 20% of the capital cost of a conventional platform. The
estimated structural maintenance and inspection costs are approximately
10% of those associated with a steel jacket structure. As the structure
is reusable a further cost reduction is also achievable as capital
costs can be partly written to later projects.
Sea Stork is a
new type of offshore shallow water production facility. It offers
significant cost reductions over current alternative facilities, either
platform-based or subsea, and will allow the development of currently
non-viable marginal fields.
