Wood Group kicks off engineering work for Leviathan platform

Wood Group has recently completed the seven-month front-end engineering design (FEED) for Noble Energy’s Leviathan Field Development Project in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and has started the detailed engineering for the platform – including the topsides and jacket.

Noble Energy, as the operator of the project, recently made a Final Investment Decision for the giant gas field in the Mediterranean. The FID was also made by the Israeli partner Delek Group.

Wood Group informed on Thursday that the FEED and detail design has a total contract value of approximately $95 million.

The Leviathan will be developed using a subsea system that connects production wells to a fixed platform located offshore with tie-in onshore in the northern part of Israel.

The estimated 30,000 ton fixed platform is being initially designed to process 1.2 Bcf/d of gas, expandable to 2.1Bcf/d to accommodate future production. The platform will be installed in 86 meters water depth.

The Leviathan project adds to Wood Group’s portfolio of projects executed  for Noble Energy. Wood Group previously designed the Tamar platform topsides; the Tamar onshore compression plant which receives natural gas from the Mari-B and Tamar fields in the Mediterranean Sea; and the topsides and jacket for the Alen production platform, offshore Equatorial Guinea.

Robin Watson, chief executive of Wood Group, said: “Wood Group’s global engineering experience in delivering large-scale offshore gas production facilities and proven ability to deliver safe, cost-effective and efficient solutions will help Noble Energy and its partners meet the high standards, cost requirements and delivery schedule of the Leviathan field development.”

The cost of the first phase of the Leviathan has been estimated at $3.75 billion.

Noble Energy and partners anticipate drilling one to two Leviathan development wells in 2017. Completion activity for all four producer wells, including two previously drilled, is anticipated in 2018. The company expects to complete project installation and initiate commissioning in the fourth quarter of 2019, with delivery of first gas targeted for the end of 2019.