| Client | Confidential Offshore Operator |
| Project | Uwainat Development Concept Select & PreFEED |
| Sector | Energy & Chemicals |
| Services | FEL2 – Concept Select & Definition |
| Location | Arabian Gulf |
Objective
A major offshore operator engaged io consulting to conduct a concept select and preFEED study for the Uwainat reservoir in the Arabian Gulf. The goal was to define the optimal development strategy that maximises hydrocarbon recovery while ensuring cost efficiency, operational reliability, and alignment with existing infrastructure.
The study built on previous feasibility assessments and considered a range of development options, evaluating subsurface recovery strategies, offshore processing configurations and integration with existing facilities. The analysis focused on economic performance, technical feasibility and risk mitigation to inform the selection of the most commercially viable concept.
Project Scope
The study covered:
- Subsurface Development Strategy – Evaluating production scenarios including Oil & Gas depletion drive vs. Gas Cap expansion.
- Processing Facility Options – Assessing greenfield (new facilities), brownfield (existing modifications), and hybrid infrastructure solutions.
- Integration with Existing Infrastructure – Evaluating modifications required for offshore platforms and onshore processing facilities.
- Pipeline Routing – Assessing new pipeline requirements vs. re-use of existing pipeline to onshore facilities.
- Economic & Risk Assessment – Conducting techno-economic evaluations to determine the most commercially attractive development pathway.
Concepts Evaluated
Three main development approaches were considered:
- Concept 1: Oil & Gas Depletion Drive
- Focused on oil recovery with associated gas production.
- Required new water injection capacity to maintain reservoir pressure.
- Utilised existing offshore infrastructure with moderate modifications.
- Concept 2: Gas Cap Expansion
- Maximised gas production from the reservoir’s gas cap, prioritising early-life gas revenues.
- Required modifications to offshore processing facilities for gas handling and compression.
- Assessed two sub-options:
- 2A: Brownfield approach with incremental modifications.
- 2B: Hybrid brownfield-greenfield approach, including a new wellhead platform for production expansion.
- Concept 3: High-Production Hybrid Approach
- Combined both oil and gas cap production at an accelerated rate.
- Required significant new infrastructure, including a larger wellhead platform and expanded gas processing capacity.
- Higher initial CAPEX but potentially faster payback period.
Findings & Recommendations
Findings
- Subsurface Development Strategy: The Gas Cap expansion strategy (Concept 2B) demonstrated the highest early-life production, driven by strong gas pricing and reduced water handling complexity.
- Offshore Processing Facility Selection: Greenfield-only solutions were too CAPEX-intensive, while brownfield-only modifications posed operational constraints.
- Integration with Onshore Processing Facilities: Existing onshore processing infrastructure required modifications to accommodate new production volumes and fluid compositions.
- Pipeline Infrastructure & Transport: The existing pipeline was a viable option, reducing CAPEX compared to building a new export pipeline.
- Economic & Risk Evaluation: Updated cost and price assumptions improved the relative economics of Concept 2B, making it the most attractive option in terms of NPV, IRR, and unit technical cost.
Recommendations
- Subsurface Development Strategy: Prioritise Concept 2B, as it offers the best balance of economic returns, technical feasibility and infrastructure re-use potential.
- Offshore Processing Facility Selection: Implement a hybrid approach (Concept 2B) with a new wellhead platform and targeted upgrades to existing offshore gas processing infrastructure.
- Integration with Onshore Processing Facilities: Optimise onshore processing system upgrades to align with offshore production ramp-up.
- Pipeline Infrastructure & Transport: Conduct pipeline integrity and capacity assessments to confirm feasibility for long-term transport.
- Economic & Risk Evaluation: Progress Concept 2B to preFEED while exploring further cost optimisations.
io Value Add
io consulting provided critical strategic and technical contributions, including:
- Field Development Optimisation – Identified the most cost-effective subsurface and facility configuration.
- Infrastructure Re-Use Assessment – Maximised existing offshore and onshore infrastructure, reducing CAPEX.
- Economic & Sensitivity Analysis – Delivered robust financial modelling to de-risk decision-making.
- Pipeline & Facility Integration Studies – Assessed viability of existing transport and processing systems.
The study confirmed that Concept 2B (Gas Cap expansion with a new WHP) provides the best economic return while making use of existing infrastructure where possible. The project is progressed into preFEED, with a focus on:
- Validating pipeline integrity for re-use.
- Refining well designs to optimise drilling CAPEX.
- Finalising modifications to onshore processing facilities.
- Conducting further risk and feasibility assessments before final investment decision (FID).
By leveraging io’s expertise, the operator is now positioned to move forward with a cost-efficient, technically robust field development strategy, ensuring long-term value maximisation.
