Chac

Location

The Chac field is located approximately 100 kilometers offshore in the Bay of Campeche, Gulf of Mexico, near the Yucatan Peninsula.

Geology

The reservoirs in the Chac field, like the rest of the Cantarell complex, are formed from carbonate breccia of Upper Cretaceous age. This geological formation is a result of the rubble from the asteroid impact that created the Chicxulub Crater.

Field Composition

The Cantarell field, which includes the Chac field, is composed of four main fields: Akal, Nohoch, Chac, and Kutz. The Akal field is the largest and most productive, but the Chac field contributes significantly to the overall production.

Production History

The Cantarell field, including the Chac field, began production in 1979. Initially, the field benefited from a giant natural gas bubble that maintained reservoir pressure for the first 20 years. As the reservoir pressure fell, Pemex implemented various projects to maintain and increase production. One of the key projects involved the injection of nitrogen to pressurize the reservoir, which started in 2000.

Modernization and Expansion

As part of the Cantarell Field Development Project, several major components were implemented to increase production and improve operational efficiency. This included:

• Modernizing existing platforms and constructing new ones. Specifically, 39 existing platforms were modernized, and 26 new main platforms were built.
• Developing new central processing complexes, such as Akal L and B, and upgrading existing ones like Akal C.
• Building a floating storage and offloading (FSO) vessel, the Ta'kuntah, to handle oil production. This FSO has a storage capacity of 2.3 million barrels and can offload 800,000 barrels per day.
• Constructing the largest nitrogen-generation plant in the world to supply 1,200 MMcfd of nitrogen gas to pressurize the oil reservoir.

Infrastructure and Pipelines

The project involved laying more than 400 km of subsea pipelines to augment the existing 1,700-km network. New pipelines were constructed to transport the two-phase oil-gas mixture from the new platforms and wells to central processing complexes like Akal C, Akal J, and Nohoch A. Additionally, 21 gas pipelines were built to transport gas to centralized processing facilities.

Production Capacity

At its peak in 2003, the Cantarell field, including the Chac field, produced approximately 2.21 million barrels of oil per day. The field's production has been significant, with plans to potentially increase it to 2 million barrels per day in the future.

Contractors and Partners

Several international and local companies have been involved in the development and expansion of the Cantarell field, including Bechtel, FMC Technologies, Dragados Off-Shore, Modec, Sofec, Fluor, and others. These companies have contributed to various aspects such as platform construction, gas compression, and pipeline installation.

Economic Impact

The Cantarell field, including the Chac field, has been a cornerstone of Mexico's oil production and economy. The field's performance has significantly impacted Mexico's hydrocarbon production and oil income.

In summary, the Chac field is an integral part of the larger Cantarell oil field complex, contributing to its overall production and economic significance through extensive modernization and expansion projects.