French company, Technip has been awarded a contract by BHP Billiton for the fabrication, transportation and installation of a flow line and transportation and installation of an umbilical for its Angostura gas project, located offshore Trinidad and Tobago in 100 feet of water.
A statement from Technip said its operating centre in Houston, Texas will execute this contract.
The flowline will be welded at the Group's spool base located in Evanton, Scotland. Offshore installation is scheduled for 2010,using the Apache, one of Technip's pipelay vessels, and one of Technip's diving support vessels.
The flow line is a flexible or rigid pipe laid on the seabed for the transport of production or injection fluids while the umbilical is an assembly of steel tubes and/or thermoplastic hoses.
Umbilicals can include electrical cables or optic fibers to support communications, power supply and telemetry functions.
Last year, President of BHP Billiton Trinidad and Tobago, Vincent Pereira said the company and its partner companies would invest US$180 million to construct and install a new gas export platform with a capacity of 280 million cubic feet of gas per day which is expected to go online by 2011.
The gas export platform will be constructed alongside the company's existing Greater Angostura field which includes oil and gas discoveries.
Pereira said the development of the second phase will help to grow the base business for BHP Billiton in Trinidad and Tobago.
BHP Billiton holds a 45 per cent interest in the field. Its joint venture partners are Total SA with a 30 per cent stake, and Talisman holding a 25 per cent interest.
Canada-based Talisman is currently completing an agreement to sell its assets in Trinidad and Tobago.
BHP Billiton has also signed a contract with state-owned National Gas Company to supply gas from the new facility, starting at 220 million standard cubic feet of natural gas per day (mmscf/d)
BHP Billiton Trinidad and Tobago produces some 30,000 barrels of oil per day and 220 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (mmscfd) which is re-injected for pressure maintenance to aid oil production.
Offshore pipelines
Technip, a world leader in the fields of project management, engineering and construction for the oil and gas industry was also awarded a contract by NGC in late 2007 to build two new offshore pipelines.
Technip was contracted to provide the engineering and design services and construction manage-ment for the pipelines which will be completed towards the end of 2010.
The additional two pipelines, when completed will significantly improve natural gas transportation capacity and provide the infrastructure to bring gas from new production fields off the northeast coasts of Trinidad and Tobago.
The 56 km North Eastern Offshore (NEO) Pipeline which has a 24-inch diameter will originate from BHP Billiton's facility in Block 2 (c) off the north-east coast of Trinidad and will connect into NGC's existing pipeline network to the south.
The line will provide transportation capacity for new gas supplies from BHP Billiton and EOG and will be sized to have additional capacity for other suppliers of gas operating off the north-east coast.
Presently there is no gas pipeline infrastructure in this area.
Another proposed addition to NGC's pipeline network is a smaller 6.15 km pipeline, with an 8-inch diameter to Cove Estate, Tobago.
The new pipeline will also originate from the BHP Billiton's facility and will be constructed in a northerly direction, terminating at Cove Estate on Tobago's south coast.
The gas to be supplied to Cove Estate will provide fuel for a power generation plant being built by the state-owned power company at Cove Estate, in addition to supplying gas to all light industry on the estate via a gas distribution system.
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