From the North Sea (NT): Gas exports from CNR’s BANFF (SEN, 30/24) field in the UK central North Sea are due to shoot up next year when the plug is pulled on gas injection. This has been taking place under a drainage gravity strategy introduced in the mid noughties after the waterflood implemented by original operator ConocoPhillips was dropped in 2001 due to below-par results.

With gas reserves now greater than oil reserves, the time has come to start exporting all the gas not used as fuel on the fpso if economic recovery is to be maximised, CNR says in the environmental statement which accompanies its application for a increase in gas exports. The switch would have taken place in 2010-11, but for the need for repairs to the fpso Petrojarl Banff, which had the field shut in from the end of 2011 to July this year.

Gas export from the fpso - the figures include gas from the Kyle field which is a subsea tieback - are estimated to increase from 482mcm/d this year to 1.9mcm/d in 2015.

Oil production from both fields is also expected to rise, from 3,920b/d this year to 5,550b/d in 2015. Thereafter both oil and gas exports will move into decline.

From Houston and Australia (BN/RW): McDermott announced the world’s largest forged-body specialty valve - 9m long, 7m high, weighing more than 100ts - is to be installed at the Inpex’s ICHTHYS (31/13) floater-to-LNG project off western Australia.

The umbilical, riser and flowline infrastructure needed connection of a subsea riser base to a 42in gas export line going to the onshore LNG facility. That required the need for six of the big top-entry ball valves, built and tested in collaboration with a ‘leading valve supplier’ out of Italy.

A second valve was undergoing acceptance testing. Two will be installed in 270m offshore and four will be installed onshore. Two will be installed at the subsea riser base, a third will be installed at the pipeline landfall block valve station and the other three will be installed in the onshore plant at Bladin Point.

First production from Ichthys is scheduled for late 2016.

From the North Sea (NT): Oil lifting services for BG’s KNARR (31/13) fpso development in the Norwegian sector will be supplied by fpso contractor Teekay from its pool of North Sea shuttle tankers.

BG confirms that Subsea 7’s 4.5km infield bundle was installed on the field this summer. The Teekay fpso Petrojarl Knarr fpso, which was docked at Aibel’s Haugesund yard last month for final preparations prior to installation on the field, was still there this week, Aibel told SEN, although it was due to leave by end September.

SEN has heard that Chevron’s IDD development, aka GENDALO-GEHEM (31/7), is officially on hold...BW Offshore has completed the acquisition of the fpso PETROLEO NAUTIPA (31/9) which is operating offshore Gabon for Vaalco on a charter through 2020 with options...ABB will provide the power and automation systems for the Armada Kraken which will operate for Enquest on the KRAKEN (31/11) field in the UK sector.

Trelleborg is to provide high temperature flowline insulation for phase two of ExxonMobil’s ERHA NORTH (30/1) fpso project, offshore Nigeria.

From Australia (RW): KT Marine Services, a joint venture of Kotug International and Teekay Shipping, has signalled the beginning of work on three support vessels for Shell’s PRELUDE (31/11) floating LNG project with a steel cutting ceremony in Singapore.

The vessels will service the LNG, LPG and condensate export activities from the development as well as provide emergency response services and be on standby for any evacuation required.

The three vessels are 42m long, each with a 100t bollard pull and powered by Kotug’s Rototug technology. They will have three separate azimuth propulsion units for better safety, power, efficiency and manoeuvrability.

The joint venture will employ more than 80 staff in Australia, including within the Broome community on the Kimberley coast. There will be indigenous cadetship programs in partnership with Aboriginal Marine Services.

Offshore