Byron prepares second Gulf of Mexico well for production U.S. oil and gas operator Byron Energy has completed the second of three wells on the South Marsh Island Block 71 (SM 71) lease in the Gulf of Mexico, staying on track to start production at the lease in mid-March.
The company said on Monday that the perforation and sand control operations have concluded on the SM 71 F2 well.
It is worth reminding that the first well SM 71 F1 was completed in February 2018 and is ready for production.
Back to the second well, Byron said that a 72-foot measured depth interval of the B65 Sand was perforated on February 26, 2018 and sand control measures were pumped across the interval on February 28, 2018. After rigging down the pumping equipment, 2 7/8” production tubing was run in the well. After the production tubing was landed, a short flow back to recover completion fluids and oil occurred before the F2 well was shut in by closing a surface controlled subsurface safety valve.
No production rates were determined during this phase of the project due to limited oil storage tank capacity currently on location. As each SM71 well is hooked into the production manifold and SM71 lease pipelines, it will be individually tested, and optimal rates will be established based on reservoir pressure drawdown, the company explained.
The F2 well is the second of three completions Byron will perform on the SM71 F platform. The Ensco 68 drilling has now skidded into position over the SM71 F3 well and completion operations in the D5 Sand have begun. The D5 Sand in the F3 well will be completed with sand control measures similar to the F1 and F2 wells. These sand control measures are designed to improve the production rate and to minimize reservoir pressure drawdown, resulting in better performance and longevity.
The SM71 F3 well will be the last well completed for production during this phase of the project and production will begin shortly after the F3 well is finished.
Final piping and instrumentation work on the SM71 F platform is nearing completion. Production start-up is targeted for mid-March. It is anticipated that the three wells will utilize a high percentage of the SM71 F Platform’s oil and gas production capacity.
Byron Energy is the operator of SM71 and has a 50% working interest and a 40.625% net revenue interest in SM71. Otto Energy holds the remaining interest in SM71.
Maynard Smith, Byron Energy Ltd CEO, had this to say about the SM71 F1 operations: “The completion operations at SM71 have gone to plan and the pressures of both wells have met our expectations. Our team of service companies and our consulting engineers have worked together very well, and we are right on schedule for a start-up of production in mid-March.”
