ONGC begins production from Sagar Samrat MOPU in Arabian Sea

ONGC said that its Sagar Samrat offshore drilling rig has been commissioned as a mobile offshore production unit (MOPU), which has started producing from the WO-16 cluster in the Arabian Sea.

In the coming days, Sagar Samrat MOPU is expected to handle up to 20,000 barrels per day of crude oil, said ONGC. It will have a maximum export gas capacity of 2.36 million cubic meters per day and is projected to add 6000bbls/day of oil to the company’s production.

According to the Indian government-owned energy company, the first oil from the WO-16 cluster flowed into the MOPU’s processing system followed by its dispatch to an onshore terminal.

The WO-16 cluster features four marginal fields located at a water depth of 75-80m. The fields are situated 130km off Mumbai, which is nearly 40km from the Mumbai High.

ONGC begins production from Sagar Samrat MOPU in Arabian Sea. Photo courtesy of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited.

ONGC stated: “Since, no nearby facility exists to produce from this field, it was planned to install a MOPU for production, processing and transportation of oil and gas from WO-16 Cluster.”

In late 2011, ONGC awarded the contract to convert the Sagar Samrat jack-up rig into a MOPU to a consortium of Mercator Oil & Gas, Mercator Offshore (P), and Gulf Piping Company (GPC).