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Cliff Head Oil Field (WA-31-L, Australia)

HISTORY
  • In 2001, ROC’s first well drilled in Western Australia discovered the Cliff Head Oil Field, the first commercial oil discovery in the offshore Perth Basin.  The field has established the offshore Perth Basin as Australia’s fourth offshore oil producing region, after the Bass Strait, the North West Shelf and the Timor Sea.

  • The Cliff Head Field was declared commercial-in-principle in October 2003, the Field Development Plan was finalised in December 2004 and the Joint Venture made the Final Investment Decision for the project in March 2005.  Pipeline licences were granted in April 2005 and Production Licence WA-31-L over the field was granted in October 2005.

  • Production facilities construction was successfully completed in December 2005 after which development drilling commenced.

  • The BP crude oil unloading facility at Kwinana was officially opened in February 2006 and commissioning of the Arrowsmith Stabilisation Plant ("ASP"), which receives the oil produced from the field, was completed April 2006.
  • Production commenced on 1 May 2006, less than 14 months after project sanction.  The first export of crude oil from the ASP was delivered to the BP Kwinana Unloading Facility on 5 May 2006.
  • Development drilling of 8 production wells and 2 water injection wells was completed in July 2006, after which  the field produced at a better than expected rate.
  • The field achieved a significant milestone in September 2006 when cumulative oil production exceeded one million barrels.  In May 2007, oil production from the field achieved its production target of 3.0 MMBO in the first year of production.  In September 2007, the field produced its 4 millionth barrel of oil representing 22,450 man days without a Lost Time Injury.
  • In November 2007, 18 months after production commenced, the field produced in 5 millionth barrel of oil and paid out its $327 million capital cost.
GEOLOGY

The field has the following key geological features:

  • Reservoir: stacked series of Permian sands.
  • Trap: fault- and dip-closed structure.
  • Seal: early Triassic Kockatea shale.
DEVELOPMENT FACILITIES

Facilities consist of the following:

  • A jack-up installed, unmanned, remotely operated wellhead platform connected by pipelines to onshore processing facilities at Arrowsmith.
  • Two steel 273mm diameter pipelines, 14km long; one for production fluids, one for water injection.
  • A 14km power cable for general platform power, specifically for powering electric submersible pumps in the production wells.
  • A 14km chemical injection umbilical for corrosion and scale inhibition.
  • Oil is trucked to the BP refinery at Kwinana. 
 

Activity Status
  • Producing
  • Assessment of near-field exploration potential in progress.
  • Planning in progress for a possible workover in 4Q 2010 to install a higher-rate downhole ESP at CH12.
Project Capital Investment to First Oil
  • A$327MM gross (ROC net A$123MM)
Remaining 2P Reserves
  • ROC net 3.1 MMBO at 31 December 2009
First Production
  • 1 May 2006
Average Gross Production Rate for Quarter Ending 30 June 2010
  • 4,431 BOPD (ROC net 1,662 BOPD)
JV Participants
Roc Oil (WA) Pty Limited (Operator) 37.5%
AWE Oil (Western Australia) Pty Ltd 27.5%
ARC (Offshore PB) Limited 30.0%
CIECO Energy Australia Pty Ltd 5.0%