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Pyrenees FPSO

A double-hulled, converted Aframax FPSO serving a multi-accumulation oil development in the Exmouth Sub-basin. First oil was achieved in April 2010. Moored in about 200 metres of water, it receives subsea well fluids, separates and stabilises crude, compresses and reinjects gas, reinjects produced water, stores oil and offloads to export tankers. Its internal turret can disconnect for cyclone evacuation.

Operator: BHP / Woodside

Status: Operational

Pyrenees FPSO platform photo

Image Source: Facebook: AMOU. (All rights belong to the original owner.)

Production: Oil

Operations start: 2010

Water depth: 200 m

Country: Australia

Block: WA-42-L, WA-43-L

Type: FPSO

Field

Pyrenees lies about 45 kilometres northwest of Exmouth, Western Australia, in the Exmouth Sub-basin of the Northern Carnarvon Basin. The mature development comprises Ravensworth, Crosby, Stickle, Tanglehead, Wild Bull and Moondyne. Oil is hosted in Lower Cretaceous Barrow Group sandstone and siltstone reservoirs within adjacent fault blocks. Development is entirely subsea, with producers, disposal or injection wells, manifolds, flowlines and umbilicals tied to one FPSO.

Facilities

The original Crosby-Ravensworth-Stickle development comprised thirteen subsea wells: nine horizontal oil producers, three vertical water-disposal wells and one vertical gas-disposal well. Individual wells connect by flowlines to subsea manifolds; manifold flowlines carry production to the FPSO, while control umbilicals run through a subsea distribution unit. Downhole gas lift is installed for the oil producers. Produced water is reinjected into the field reservoirs, and surplus gas is compressed and routed to the Macedon-6 injection well. On board, dedicated facilities separate oil, water and gas, compress the gas and stabilise the crude before storage. The converted 148,500-deadweight-tonne hull provides approximately 850,000 barrels of crude storage. A disconnectable internal turret incorporates a spider buoy and nine chain-and-wire mooring legs terminating at drag anchors. The swivel stack carries production, well-test, water-injection, well-service, gas-injection, gas-lift and chemical-utility services. Documented risers include two 10-inch and four 8-inch production risers, a 10-inch water-injection riser, a 6-inch gas-injection riser, three 4-inch gas-lift risers and two integrated subsea-control umbilicals. Stabilised crude is exported by transfer to trading tankers. During an approaching tropical cyclone, the FPSO can release from the turret and sail away, leaving the spider buoy, moorings, risers and subsea production system safely submerged for later reconnection.

Pyrenees FPSO layout
Image Source: Pyrenees Expansion Installation - subsea completions, installation and tie-in - https://docs.nopsema.gov.au/A449987. (All rights belong to the original owner.)

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