Plexus Holdings said yesterday that Tullow Oil had signed up as an additional consulting partner to its joint industry project (JIP) to develop and commercialise a new and safer subsea wellhead.
This would use the Aberdeen-based oil and gas engineering services firm’s patented POS-GRIP technology.
The company said the JIP, initiated in October 2010, was focused on developing the HGSS wellhead.
This piece of equipment is aimed at addressing key technical issues and requirements highlighted by regulators following the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010.
The accident killed 11 workers and unleashed millions of barrels of oil into the sea.
Plexus said the JIP would see key industry members contributing to the design and engineering process with the intention that they become users once the wellhead has been fully built, tested and commercialised.
The project is anticipated to take between 18-24 months at a cost of around £1.5million-£2million.
Plexus chief executive Ben Van Bilderbeek said: “Tullow Oil’s involvement in the JIP is another major endorsement of our new subsea wellhead initiative and of our team’s ability to design and develop pioneering wellhead technology in response to the rapidly-changing needs of the oil and gas industry.
“Well-control incidents around the world have highlighted the critical function of a wellhead in subsea oil and gas operations and the importance of seeking best available and safest technologies (BAST).
“The new HGSS subsea wellhead is being developed to address key safety and performance functions, and we believe will become the BAST available for subsea operations and, in-turn, become the industry standard.
“Tullow Oil is recognised as one of the largest independent exploration and production companies in Europe and is a major participant in the subsea sector. With this in mind we look forward to working with Tullow and the other major oil companies that have already joined the JIP over the next two years. Discussions with other international oil and gas operators regarding their joining the JIP continue.
“In the meantime, our focus is on getting the project fully underway and, to this end, we are currently finalising the composition of our dedicated subsea development and engineering team.”