Cobia platform back online

Earlier this year the Project Group successfully replaced the pipeline with a new 150mm flexible pipeline using the Subsea 7 “Seven Eagle” Dive Support Vessel.

Meanwhile work activities continued on both platforms in preparation for the reintroduction of Cobia oil production.

“This work included pressure vessel inspections and repairs, piping inspections and replacements, valve checks and overhauls, as well as work on the instrumentation and electrical systems,” said Cobia Restart Project Manager James Stevenson.

Offshore Oil Block Lead Production Engineer Nigel Smith said that the first of the 21 wells – the A33 – was brought online on Friday October 18.

“The plan over the coming months is to continue returning wells and equipment, including the gas-lift compressor and pump machinery, to service to bring the platform to full production,” he said.
“We are starting with the wells we believe can free flow without gas lift.  

“We are hopeful to achieve some strong free flow as the wells have been dormant for so long. We will then transition back into regular gas-lifted well production as the wells’ water content increases.”
Production Manager Stuart Jeffries congratulated everyone involved in the Cobia Project.

“This is a valuable asset to our Gippsland operations and developing a feasible means of safely bringing it back into production required some excellent work across operations, projects, engineering, wellwork and logistics,” he said.

“This has been a project that has involved great collaboration, innovation and execution from the many people involved in care and preservation of the facilities, the pipeline replacement and platform restart.”