Worthington Energy Installs Pipeline at I-1 Well (USA)

Worthington Energy, Inc., an energy company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and drilling of oil and natural gas properties, reports that the Company continues to make significant progress on the I-1 Well project, located in shallow waters of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, in the Mustang Island area offshore Texas.

Over the past week the I-1 crew completed the pipeline installation and began testing the pipeline in preparation for tying into the main line.

“When completed, the I-1 platform will have the capacity to process 20 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcf/pd) and 1,000 barrels of oil per day (bbl/pd). This processing capacity will allow us to handle production from the I-1 well, plus up to 3 to 4 additional producing wells located in the vicinity of the platform, from which we will earn our 2% Override Interest,” stated Worthington President & CEO, Tony Mason.

“On Saturday, August 11, the I-1 crew finished laying the pipeline for the I-1 well,” announced Mason. “After the pipeline installation was completed, the crew began the Pigging operation.” Pigging, in the context of pipelines, refers to the practice of using Pipeline Inspection Gauges (pigs) to perform various maintenance operations on a pipeline, including cleaning debris and fluids from, and inspection of, the pipeline. Pigging is accomplished by inserting the pig into the launching station. The launcher is then closed and the pressure driven flow of the product in the pipeline is used to push the pig through the pipe until it reaches the receiving trap – the ‘pig catcher’.

“On Sunday, August 12, we pumped the pig and received it at the platform after 1 hour of pumping,” explained Mr. Mason. “After pigging, the test flange and the chart recorder, an electromechanical device that records and shows test trends, were installed on the platform and Hydrostatic testing was performed. The results were positive, showing that our pipeline held 2,150 PSI for the required eight hours of testing as mandated by State and Federal authorities. While the pipeline was being tested, we also completed the 4 inch sump pump discharge out line and installed the sump pump.”

“On Monday, August 13, we began the mechanical tap operation which involves tying the I-1 line into the main feeder line to the Six Pigs processing facility on shore,” continued Mason. The pipeline tested very well for wall thickness, and the mechanical tap was bolted into place on the pipeline. The line will again be Hydro-tested to 1,125 PSI, after which we will cut the hole and connect the SSTI (subsea tie-in) to the tap.”

“I am truly excited about the progress we have made up to this point, as well as our ability to stay on schedule. We expect to begin testing into the line later this week,” further state Mason. “Initial flow rates from the I-1 well are anticipated to be low while the well cleans up from the various materials that were used in the drilling process, as they are cleaned out of the well bore by the oil and gas produced from the formation. The well clean-up process should take between 45 and 60 days, resulting in significant production beginning in the late October or early November timeframe.”

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Press Release, August 16, 2012