Production and Separation

PA-B oil and gas production platform

The Lunskoye field is Sakhalin II’s main gas production area where Lunskoye-A (LUN-A)—an ice-resistant gravity base platform—is installed. The platform was brought on stream in January 2009.

Associated gas extracted by the PA-A (Molikpaq) and PA-B platforms is used both for power generation and for filling the pipeline system.

Each platform has well operation and construction control centres. Real-time operational data from the production system are transferred via high-speed satellite and fibre-optic communication channels to the production control centre in the company’s headquarters in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Drilling operations are monitored by drilling engineers, geologists, field development engineers, production engineers, petrophysicists and geophysicists from the company’s headquarters.

With the diameter of 244 mm, wells in the Lunskoye field are the largest in Russia. By drilling such wells the company achieves lower operational expenses and capital costs and increases well output. When they reach full production, each well in the Lunskoye field will deliver 9 to 10 million m³ of gas per day.

A platform is a self-contained industrial plant with its own infrastructure.

The field contains layers of soft rock, which means hydrocarbons straight out of the well may contain sand, creating a risk of damaging the equipment.

To solve this problem, studies have been carried out resulting in an action plan aimed at minimising the production of sand while increasing the production of gas at the least possible cost. The specially designed platform equipment enables operation with a low level of sand production which significantly reduces well development cost and increases the well productivity.

Sand contained in the hydrocarbons is separated on the platform and then re-injected into the formation through a drill cuttings re-injection well.

Process equipment on the Molikpaq and PA-B platforms separates sand in three stages and prepares oil and gas for introducing into the pipeline system.

After removal of sand the gas is sent to the Onshore Processing Facility (OPF) via a system of offshore and onshore pipelines. The OPF processes hydrocarbons before sending them further to the south through the TransSakhalin pipeline system.