Development drilling has started at the Fénix Field, 60 km offshore Tierra del Fuego, southern Argentina.
The jackup Noble Regina Allen is stationed alongside the new Fénix production platform, which was installed in February. Operator Total Austral has commissioned three development wells to be drilled and completed over the next months.
Once online, the production will head through a 24-inch multiphase pipeline to the Vega Pléyade platform, 35 km from Fénix, and from there to the onshore Rio Cullen reception facilities at shore.
“We are well on track to bring this key energy project into production in Q4 this year,” said Manfred Boeckmann, managing director of partner Wintershall Dea Argentina.
At peak, the development should produce about 10 MMcm/d, with a projected overall investment approaching $700 million.
Fénix is in the offshore gas production concession CMA-1 in which Wintershall Dea and Total Austral each have a 37.5% share, the remaining 25% held by Pan American Energy.
At present the Cañadón Alfa, Aries, Carina and Vega Pléyade are producing and supplying 15% of Argentina’s gas production.