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Friday, 05 December, 2008, 17:20 GMT | more >>

Cossack turret causes grief



By Russell Searancke 

Mechanical problems at the Woodside-operated Wanaea-Cossack Lambert-Hermes oilfields complex, off Western Australia, have shut in output until mid-February.

The fields are tapped by the Cossack Pioneer floating production, storage and offloading vessel.

The FPSO disconnected from its riser turret mooring on 8 January to avoid Cyclone Clare.

On 11 January, when the floater was reconnecting, the hydraulic winch jammed and subsequently the lifting wire broke, said Woodside.

“Production is expected to resume in mid-February once repairs have been completed,” said the operator.

Output of 63,833 barrels per day in the fourth quarter of 2005 was lower than the two previous quarters because two wells were shut in and an 11-day routine maintenance in October 2005.

“The North West Shelf Venture participants' sellers are working with customers to minimise the subsequent impact on crude oil deliveries however delays are expected,” said Woodside.

The four-field complex is the Venture's only dedicated oil resource.

The six equal-sharing partners in the Venture are operator Woodside, Shell, BHP Billiton, BP, ChevronTexaco and Japan Australia LNG (MiMi).


Friday, 20 January, 2006, 02:29 GMT  | last updated: Friday, 20 January, 2006, 09:27 GMT

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