equivalent to a plantation of 19 million adult
trees in an area of 48 million acres of forest.
“The Liwan project has truly been a
watershed project in the evolution of Husky
Energy, from being a purely Canadian
company to being a truly global company
in the oil and gas business,” according to
a proud Mr Robert Hinkel, Asia Pacific
Chief Operating Officer of Husky Energy.
Working with CNOOC and partners
from around the globe has resulted in a
pioneering effort to secure energy supplies
for southern China for decades to come.
It takes two hands to clap and the synergy
between the two energy giants has made a
thunderous sound.
the lower part. The technique was first
used in China in 2005. Even with years of
experience, the float-over deck installation
was no easy job. The South China Sea is
known for notoriously bad weather, and
in addition, compared to Bohai where the
technique was first used in China, the
South China Sea is much deeper and the
climate is much more treacherous. Liwan
is located in the typhoon corridor and in
an open ocean area. The region is swept
by strong gales for over 200 days a year,
making the installation task a trying ordeal.
... and boldness
By the spring of 2013, engineers were
waiting for a fine weather window
to commence the final stage of the
construction – but the weather didn’t
cooperate. A sudden deterioration saw the
cancellation of the operation which was
scheduled for 18 May 2013. On 22 May,
a 30-hour window for operation opened.
It was not optimal weather for work but
pitting their experience against the heavy
cost of delay, the engineers decided to take
a gamble. They were first challenged by the
malfunction of a windlass. Then a sudden
heavy rain pushed the operation back
two hours, further narrowing the window
of operation. The Husky-CNOOC team
would not give up. Persistence carried the
day. After over 30 hours of work, the final
construction was successful and years of
effort paid off.
Built and producing!
This March, to great fanfare, Husky Energy
and CNOOC launched the production of
the Liwan 3-1 field with initial natural gas
sales expected to be approximately 250
million cubic feet per day gross, rising to
300 million cubic feet.
The Liwan Gas Project currently consists
of three fields: Liwan 3-1, Liuhua 34-2 and
Liuhua 29-1. Pending final approval, the
Liuhua 34-2 field will be tied into the Liwan
infrastructure in the second half of this year.
Liuhua 29-1 gas production could top 500
million cubic feet per day gross by 2016–17.
Engineering legacy
The Liwan Gas Project is an engineering
marvel and it serves an environmentally
friendly purpose. Compared to the calorific
value generated from coal combustion, the
amount of gas produced in the gas field
could reduce the emission of carbon dioxide
burned from coal by 5.4 million tons,
“Liwan is Husky Energy’s
largest project to date”
Mr Asim Ghosh, CEO, Husky Energy
Sphere
#35
2014
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