Tahiti Field Triumph

On November 7, 2007, Chevron began construction of a floating production facility to be installed in the Tahiti Field in the Gulf of Mexico. The field, located approximately 190 miles south of New Orleans, Louisiana, will be developed from two subsea drill centers producing to a floating production facility supported by a truss spar.

Production Level Testing

Potentially one of the Gulf's largest recent deepwater discoveries, the Tahiti Field is in 4,000 feet of water.

“Chevron partnered with Hornbeck Offshore for testing the well production level,” said Captain George McCoy, Hornbeck Offshore Vessel Group Manager and Project Manager of the Tahiti Chevron Project. “Our role was to provide vessels to put the test fluids in to and separate the fluids into different segments in the cargo tanks for ultimate handling after the test.”

Once the well started producing an actual oil flow, the production level was determined based on the amount of volume produced into the barge.

“This was our second oil test with Chevron,” said McCoy. “We hope to provide this service in the future with them as new projects come up.”

Hornbeck Team
Hornbeck Offshore has extensive experience in well testing. A large amount of planning took place before the actual testing. The Hornbeck Offshore team only had a 75-foot watch circle in which to operate. Any separation greater than 75 feet would have caused the well stream to be broken.

“We pre-planned the whole operation, worked scenarios out on computer and on paper to make sure everyone knew what was going on,” said McCoy. “We had the ship, the barge, the assist boats, and two tugs, all working within 20-30 feet of each other in 5-6 foot seas.

Historical First
Safety is always a key concern for Hornbeck Offshore. Risks are always measured with the utmost regard for the safety of individuals and the protection of the environment. The Tahiti Project offered new challenges and risks. Well testing alongside rigs and static platforms is common, but this was the first time a barge had been streamed behind the drill ship. Work was actually conducted off the stern of the drill ship.

“The biggest risk came when we were approaching the rig with the barge,” said McCoy. “This was accomplished two different times on this project; one time with a mobile drilling rig operating on dynamic positioning, so it wasn’t anchored to the bottom.”

The main concern was the risk of collision. A 400 foot long, 70 foot wide barge and two 245-foot offshore supply boats were used in the project.

“It was a pretty delicate ballet of vessels,” said McCoy. “There were two tugs and a barge all maneuvering to be in the correct position to get hooked up.”

The entire project was a huge success. The well testing provided the necessary results and even though the risks were high, there were no accidents.

“I was very proud of our crews,” said McCoy. “It was a very well-planned and well-executed operation.”

To learn more about Hornbeck’s commitment to excellence, call (985) 727-2000 or visit www.hornbeckoffshore.com.