Joanne

Location and Discovery

The Joanne Field is located in the Quad 30 area of the North Sea. Phillips Petroleum (UK) discovered the Judy reservoir in 1980 and the Joanne Field a few years later.

Development

The development of the Joanne Field was part of a broader project that included the Judy Field. The production from the Joanne Field's subsea wellheads is routed to the Judy platform. Here are some key points about the development:

• Project Planning and Execution: The decision to develop the field was made in 1992, after extensive front-end planning and studies. The project had five main objectives, which were largely achieved through effective project controls, cost planning, and teamwork between in-house staff and contractors.

• Drilling and Cost Savings: The project involved drilling horizontal wells instead of vertical wells, which resulted in significant cost savings. The Joanne development wells, drilled by the Santa Fe rig Magellan, were completed $45 million under budget. Overall, the project was anticipated to be at least 15% under the budgeted figure of $767 million.

• Platform and Subsea Facilities: The Judy platform was used for processing and exporting the production from both fields. The project included constructing the platform and subsea facilities. Cost savings were also achieved in platform construction and subsea facility installation, with $35 million saved on platform construction and $9 million on the subsea facility.

• Production Details: The liquids output from the Joanne Field peaked at 95,000 barrels per day (b/d) and averaged 65,000 b/d. Gas production was 260 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d). Liquids were exported via a 24-inch line to the Norpipe, and natural gas was exported via a 20-inch line to the Central Area Transmission System (CATS) line.

Technical Details

• Platform Specifications: The Judy platform, which processes production from the Joanne Field, has a jacket weight of 7,800 tonnes, with 14 piles each weighing 581 tonnes and 115 meters long, driven to a depth of 92.5 meters. The deck weight is 9,400 tonnes, and the installation was completed in June 1995.

Conclusion

The Joanne Field development is a notable example of efficient project management and cost-effective engineering in the oil and gas industry. The project's success was attributed to thorough planning, innovative drilling techniques, and effective collaboration between Phillips Petroleum and its contractors.