Exxon Mobil installs locally designed compression platform

EXXONMOBIL Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc (EMEPMI), a unit of Exxon Mobil Corp, has installed a gas compression platform at the Guntong E gas field in South China Sea. 

The move is part of its continuing long-term investment in Malaysia, the company said yesterday. 

Developed at a total cost of about RM1bil, Guntong E marked the first phase of the Guntong Hub development and would further boost Peninsular Malaysia's gas sales capacity, it added. 

EMEPMI chairman Rob Fisher said the Guntong E platform was a major offshore facility constructed and installed by Malaysian construction companies. 

Rob Fisher

“When fully operational in 2006, the Guntong Hub, consisting of Guntong E and the two existing Guntong D production and compression platforms, will have a combined gas handling capacity of more than 800mil cu ft per day. 

“This will enable us to embark on several future gas resource development commitments under the gas production sharing contract (GPSC) with Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) to help meet increasing demand in Malaysia,” he said. 

EMEPMI said the Guntong Hub is expected to process a total of 4 trillion cu ft of gas for sale in Peninsular Malaysia.  

It will involve new drill wells, work-over of existing wells, satellite platforms, inter-field pipelines and retrofit of existing platforms. 

Guntong E was fully designed and fabricated in Malaysia.  

The detailed design of the topsides and jacket was undertaken by MMC Oil and Gas Engineering Sdn Bhd and Perunding Ranhill Worley Sdn Bhd, respectively. 

Fabrication activities started in February 2004 by Sime Darby Engineering for the platform topsides and Ramunia Fabricators for the jacket. 

The Guntong E platform installation offshore was completed by TL Offshore last month. 

EMEPMI said the project required more than 4 million work hours to complete and involved more than 1,500 workers during peak construction activity. 

The Guntong Hub, when fully operational in 2006, will have a combined gas handling capacity of more than 800mil cu.ft. per day.

Weighing a total of 17,800 tonnes, the platform is one of the largest commissioned by EMEPMI to-date. 

Located about 210km off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Guntong E consists of an eight-leg jacket and six modules for gas receiving, separation, dehydration and compression. 

Three large turbine-driven compressor trains will handle 540 million cu ft of gas and 30,000 barrels of condensate per day.  

Each compressor is powered by a 30,000 horsepower gas turbine, similar to the aircraft engine used on the Boeing 747. 

A bridge connects Guntong E to the existing Guntong D gas compression platform. 

The combined Guntong E and Guntong D complex is the largest steel structure offshore Peninsular Malaysia.  

The compressed gas from Guntong Hub fields will flow through existing pipelines to onshore processing plants in Kerteh, Terengganu. 

ExxonMobil is developing gas from the Guntong field under the GPSC together with Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Petronas. – Bernama