Sakhalin Energy Stated Annual Planned Shutdown at the PA-B Platform

The scope will also include an internal process vessel cleanout job, an inspection of the critical connections in the flare boom, and a changeout of the export compressor gas generator.

 

The PA-B activities will conclude the succession of annual turnarounds of the Sakhalin Energy's production assets. The beginning of this summer saw maintenance activities conducted first on the integrated gas chain and later on the Molikpaq oil platform.

 

Extended reach drilling is carried out from the PA-B platform with a step-out of up to 8.5 kilometres, the sophisticated well designs and large hole sizes calling for extra safety precautions and maintenance efforts.

 

According to Ole Myklestad, the company's Production Director, special focus will be on the preventive maintenance of internal systems and the cleanout of process vessels. “When a well is drilled, sand comes to the surface along with hydrocarbons. That's why we must periodically shut down production and thoroughly clean out the vessels. Sand is then poured into containers, transported ashore and passed on for treatment,” said the Production Director.

 

“In addition to major works, there will be a big scope of preventive maintenance: inspections, testing and health checks of safety and production critical equipment. Execution of this important tasks will assure safe and reliable platform operations until next planned turnaround and guarantee confident run over the autumn-winter period”, pointed out Marat Rezyapov, Sakhalin Energy’s Offshore Assets Manager.

 

The works will take just under one month and will be carried out by more than 250 Sakhalin Energy and contractors’ employees. All the participants of the turnaround had isolated themselves for two weeks and undergone two COVID-19 tests before arriving at the asset.  

 

During the preventive maintenance, the company will continue producing oil, gas and condensate from its other platforms, planning on producing 2.1 million bbl, or approximately three standard cargoes, of crude.  

 

The PA-B is the largest platform of the Sakhalin-2 project. Oil and associated gas have been produced on the Piltun Area, the Piltun-Astokhskoye oilfield, since late 2008. In 2019, the average daily production of oil was 29.4 bbl, with over 139 million bbl of oil produced from the platform since the start of development.