Page 317 - Hydrocarbon Exploration and Production Second Edition

304 Facilities

water injection support to, a field which could not adequately be covered by
drilling extended reach wells from the platform.
An exploration or appraisal well, if successful, can be converted to a subsea
producer if hydrocarbons are discovered. In this case, the initial well design would
have to allow for any proposed conversion.
The subsea production template is generally recommended for use with six or more
wells. It is commonly used when an operator has a firm idea of the number of wells
that will be drilled in a certain location. All subsea facilities are contained within
one protective structure (Figure 11.37).
The templates are fabricated from large tubular members and incorporate a
receptacle for each well and a three- or four-point levelling system. Drilling
equipment guidance is achieved through the use of integral guide posts or
retrievable guide structures. It is possible to place part of the template over
existing exploration wells and tie them individually into the template production
facilities.

Bay D Bay C Bay B Bay A pile
EH
distribution guides
box tubular
frame
subsea
tree

Section
well slots 1m
EH
distribution subsea
box tree
3 2 1
control
umbilical
production
flowline
water gas lift
injection or
flowline service
line
6 5 4
chemical
injection
module
Plan
Figure 11.37 Simple subsea production template.