Tembikai Non-Associated Gas Development

The Tembikai oil and gas field is situated approximately 150km offshore Terengganu in Peninsular Malaysia. Credit: MHB Engineering Solutions.

The Tembikai gas field is being developed with a minimum facility offshore wellhead platform. Credit: MHB Engineering Solutions.

ZEEPod is a tripod-shaped platform with eight well configuration and two risers. Credit: MHB Engineering Solutions.

The Tembikai non-associated gas (TNAG) development project is located at the Tembikai oil and gas field, offshore Terengganu, Malaysia.

Located in 70m-deep waters, Tembikai is a marginal oil and gas field being developed by the state-owned company Petronas, under the Tembikai-Chenang Cluster small field risk service contract (RSC).

Tembikai field is wholly owned by Petronas Carigali, while its subsidiary, Vestigo Petroleum, is the operator.

Oil production from the field began in October 2015, while the gas development project was launched in the second half of 2018.

Offshore installation works for the Tembikai non-associated gas development were initiated in 2019, with gas production expected to commence in 2020.

Tembikai field location and geology

Tembikai field is located within the Tenggol Arch region off the eastern coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It lies approximately 150km away from Terengganu and approximately 56km southwest of the Berantai offshore gas field in the South China Sea.

Tembikai oil field development details

The Tembikai oil field development included three production wells and a central processing platform (CPP). The oil from the CPP is sent to a floating storage and offloading (FSO) vessel through a flexible subsea pipeline.

Peak production capacity of the Tembikai oil project is expected to be 2,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd).

Tembikai non-associated gas development project

An unmanned wellhead platform is based on the ZEEPod offshore platform design, which is especially useful when deployed in shallow-water marginal oil and gas fields.

The Tembikai non-associated gas (TNAG) production platform with 400t topside will be connected with the Berantai floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facility through a  60km-long and 12in-diameter rigid pipeline, as well as a fibre optic control cable.

The pipeline will be installed using NOV-Tuboscope Zap-Lok™ mechanical connectors, while flexible risers will be connected to the pipeline using diverless connections.

It will be the first rigid pipeline in offshore Malaysia to be installed with the use of mechanical connectors.

ZEEPod wellhead platform details

The ZEEPod platform structure is designed and patented by ZEE Engineering, an engineering consultancy company based in Malaysia.

It is a tripod-structured minimum facility platform with an eight well configuration and two risers. It can be installed at a water depth of up to 90m.

The ZEEPod structure comprises a deck, a main caisson to support the deck, raker piles driven through a sleeve, boat landing and a conductor protector. A subsea template is used for installation at a deeper water depth.

The total weight of the structure is approximately 1,500t. While its typical deck load capacity is 500t that can be expanded up to 850t.

The ZEEPod platform is designed to have a minimum operational life of ten years and can withstand heavy storm conditions.

Its structure is designed for easy fabrication, transport and installation. The complete system can be fabricated and commissioned within six months. The simple design of the structure involves lower capital expenditure and negligible operating expenses.

Contractors involved

The Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering Holdings Berhad (MHB) was contracted for the TNAG wellhead platform in October 2018. Fabrication works for the platform were completed at the company’s state-of-the-art Malaysia Marine and Heavy Engineering (MMHE) West yard facilities.

MHB subcontracted Reach Integrated for the design, supply, assembly, local testing, delivery, pre-commissioning and offshore commissioning of the telecommunication system equipment for the wellhead platform in March 2019. Fame Klaut was subcontracted for the transportation and installation of the wellhead platform.

The Alam Maritim Resources Berhad (AMRB) received a $59m contract for the engineering, procurement, construction, installation (EPCI) and pre-commissioning of the pipeline system for the gas development project in April 2019.

AMRB will perform the pipeline work in consortium with Cortez Subsea, a subsea pipelay and inspection company based in the UK.

Vestigo used a Sapura Samudra vessel for carrying out soil boring survey in the field in September 2018.