Deepwater-field production could be more efficient by reducing the size of production hosts, according to a study by employees of a number of KBR units. Cost reduction is achievable by optimizing the subsea production system and by adopting new technologies and practices for the construction of subsea wells, but a more relevant cost reduction is possible in principle by properly sizing the host. The study, conducted in late 2008, found that workers at one unit were using about half as much water per day than they had been doing before the spill. In a paper delivered to the 2016 SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, they argued that operating smaller hosts would result in a longer field life and that timed replacement of such facilities could produce larger amounts of oil and gas in better conditions.
Deepwater-field production could be more efficient by reducing the size of production hosts, according to a study by employees of a number of KBR units. The study, conducted in late 2008, found that workers at one unit were using about half as much water per day than they had been doing before the spill. In a paper delivered to the 2016 SPE Asia Pacific Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition, they argued that operating smaller hosts would result in a longer field life and that timed replacement of such facilities could produce larger amounts of oil and gas in better conditions.