Vega Pleyade (Tierra del Fuego)

Vega Pleyade (Tierra del Fuego) Oil and Gas Field Profile

Location

The Vega Pleyade oil and gas field is located in the Cuenca Marina Austral 1 (CMA-1) concession offshore Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. The exact coordinates are -53.4357, -67.7269 (WGS 84).

Operators and Ownership

The field is operated by Total Austral SA, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies. The ownership is shared among:

• TotalEnergies Austral S.A.: 37.5%
• Wintershall Energia SA: 37.5%
• Pan American Energy: 25%.

Discovery and Production

While the exact discovery year is not specified, the field began production in February 2016.

Reserves

The Vega Pleyade field has significant reserves:

• Natural Gas: Approximately 25 billion cubic meters initially estimated, though more recent data shows 2P reserves of around 10,642 million m³ (as of 2020) and 1,159 million m³ (as of 2022).
• Oil: 2P reserves of about 2.74 million barrels (as of 2020) and 1.96 million barrels (as of 2022).

Production Capacity

The field has a production capacity of 10 million cubic meters of gas per day, which is crucial for maintaining Total's position as Argentina's second-ranked gas operator. The field also produces a smaller amount of oil, with annual production rates around 0.2 million barrels per year.

Field Development

The development of the Vega Pleyade field involved several key components:

• Drilling: Three horizontal production wells were drilled from a new production platform, with drilling depths reaching as deep as 5.5 km (3.4 miles).
• Infrastructure: A wellhead platform was constructed in Cardiz, Spain, and installed in water depths of 50 meters. This platform is the world’s most southern gas-producing platform.
• Pipelines: A 77 km-long pipeline connects the field to the onshore treatment plants Rio Cullen and Cañadon Alfa.

Contractors and Services

Several contractors were involved in the development:

• Dragados Offshore: Awarded a lump-sum contract for engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC), pre-commissioning, and commissioning of the wellhead platform topsides, four-legged jacket, and piles.
• ALE: Provided weighing, transportation, ballasting, and load-out services for the platform components.
• Actimar: Conducted a met-ocean study to gather environmental condition data.
• Momentum Scan: Delivered pipelines for the project.
• Swiber: Contracted for laying the pipelines using the pipelay vessel Swiber PJW3000.
• ACS Group: Awarded a contract for the engineering, procurement, supply, fabrication, assembly, and onshore commissioning of the Vega Pleyade gas offshore platform.

Challenges and Logistics

The development faced significant challenges due to the harsh environmental conditions, including:

• High wind speeds up to 180 km/h
• Strong currents
• Temperatures as low as -20°C in winter
• Remote location, 2,900 kilometers from Buenos Aires.

Economic and Strategic Impact

The initial investment for the project was estimated at $1.2 billion, with potential increases to $1.5 billion if additional wells were required. The field's production contributes significantly to Argentina's gas supply, helping maintain Total's position as a major gas producer in the region.

Integration with Other Fields

The production from Vega Pleyade is integrated with other operational fields in the area, such as Cañadon Alfa, Carina, and Aries, which collectively supply about 15% of Argentina's gas production. Additionally, the field will be connected to the Fénix gas field, with production from Fénix to be transported via a subsea pipeline to the Vega Pleyade platform for processing.