Noble Energy has stopped production from the Tamar gas field offshore Israel after a crack was discovered in a pipe aboard the Tamar platform.
Noble’s partner in the field Delek, on Sunday informed that the crack had been found during a planned upgrade work on the platform last Wednesday.
The crack was discovered in the emission pipe used to release natural gas and pressure from the platform routinely and in emergencies.
“Following identification of the Crack, and according to the procedures in place at the Tamar Platform, the supply of natural gas from the Tamar reservoir was stopped in a controlled manner on September 21, 2017,“ Delek said.
The operator has advised Delek that there is no safety and environmental exposure.
“The operator is acting to repair the Malfunction, and has updated the Tamar Partners that the planned date for completion of the repair and commencement of flow of natural gas from the Tamar reservoir is during the coming week. It is noted that the cost of the repair is not expected to be material,” Delek said.
According to Delek, Noble has decided to press ahead with the planned upgrade work on the Tamar platform, in parallel with the repair work on the crack.
Delek said that the decline in the supply of natural gas from the date of cessation of the flow of natural gas until the expected date of repair of the crack – during which time the gas flow from the Tamar field to the Tamar production platform was in any event planned to be performed through only one of two pipes, and at one half the maximum production capacity, due to the upgrade work – is expected to amount to about 0.1 BCM (100%), reflecting a decrease of approx. U.S. $3.5 million (net, after payment of royalties and taxes) in the partnership’s revenues from the sale of natural gas.
“Accordingly, the malfunction is not expected to have a material effect on the Partnership’s revenues from the sale of natural gas in the third and fourth quarters of 2017,” Delek said.
Offshore Energy Today Staff