Press Releases

Shell has been named as a joint winner of the 2004 Offshore Technology Conference Distinguished Achievement Award. The award recognizes the "Shell-BP Na Kika Project" for the outstanding application of technology in the design, construction, installation and operations of the Na Kika floating development and production system.

The Na Kika project, a 50/50 joint venture between Shell and BP, is located 140 miles southeast of New Orleans in water depths ranging from 5,800 feet to 7,000 feet, the deepest for any installation of its type in the world. Shell was the pre-development operator responsible for the design, fabrication and installation of the floating host facility and subsea production systems, as well as the completion of the 10 development wells. BP is the post-production operator, responsible for the operation of the facility and surveillance of the satellite subsea fields.

Gaurdie Banister, technical director of Shell EP Americas, said, “Shell is proud to accept this technology award. Na Kika exemplifies our global deepwater experience and expertise, as well as our commitment to excellence in technology.”

The project is a subsea development of five independent fields - Kepler, Ariel, Fourier, Herschel and E. Anstey – tied back to a centrally located, permanently moored floating development and production host facility situated on Mississippi Canyon Block 474 in 6,340 feet of water. A sixth field, Coulomb, owned by Shell (66.67 percent) and Petrobras America Inc. (33.33 percent), is in a water depth of approximately 7,600 feet, and will be tied back to the host facility in 2004.

The host has a semi submersible-shaped hull with topside facilities for fluid processing and pipelines for oil and gas export to shore. The host is placed in a centrally located position within the Na Kika unit. By using this novel co-development concept, Shell and BP are able to develop and produce these hydrocarbons profitably.

• Deepest permanently moored floating oil & gas development system
• Water depth record: approximately 6350 ft (approx. 2000 m) water depth
• First pipe-in-pipe risers in the world
• First gas lift risers in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM)
• Largest pipe-in-pipe flow line in the GOM
• First “electrically heated ready” flow lines and risers
• First use of the Heave Compensated Landing System to install subsea trees and equipment
• Most powerful chain jack system for riser installation (1.5 million pound capacity)
• Deepest water depth for development wells in the world (when Coulomb is completed)
• Application of technical limit drilling and completion
• First deepwater subsea well completion with three commingled reservoirs
• First deepwater subsea well completions with SMART well technology

Shell companies have been exploring for and producing hydrocarbons for more than a century. Today, they have interests in exploration and production ventures in more than 40 countries and employ approximately 25,000 staff. As operator, Shell is responsible for producing oil and gas in 21 countries.

Photos, maps and schematics of Na Kika and all of Shell’s Gulf of Mexico operations are available on www.shellus.com/sepco (link opens in a new window).