Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) is currently implementing Mariscal Sucre, a major project. The People's Minister of Petroleum and President of PDVSA, Eulogio Del Pino, said that Venezuela will be the largest exporter of gas in Latin America.
«The Cardon project, developed in the Gulf of Venezuela, is producing some 600 million cubic feet per day (MMCFPD) in less than a year. Dragon Field will start producing 300 million MMCFPD and combined with the other fields that make up the Mariscal Sucre Project, they will reach more than 1,000 MMCFPD in the coming years», he said.
The Mariscal Sucre Project encompasses 4 large fields located in northern Paria Peninsula: Dragon, Patao, Mejillones and Rio Caribe. In the future they will be able to produce 1,200 MMSCFD and 28 thousand barrels per day (Mbbls/d) of condensate.
There has been progress of more than 90%. It is estimated that Dragon Field will have an early production of 300 MMCFPD of gas from four wells. This production will be doubled in the future with the installation of an offshore platform.
Minister Del Pino said that export agreements are currently being negotiated with Trinidad, Aruba, Curacao and Jamaica. Up to 50 MMCFPD will be exported to Colombia from the gas fields in the Gulf of Venezuela, which have proven reserves of 9.5 trillion cubic feet (TCF) and an infrastructure that currently handles 600 MMCFPD.
Gas shipments to Colombia will start on December 1st of 2016; they will meet the growing demand for gas. «Venezuelan gas will spread throughout the region, which will diversify foreign currency revenues for the nation with new energy projects», he said.
This will free up the equivalent of 1.5 million barrels per month of gasoil currently used in thermoelectrical power plants of Venezuela.
To date, the Offshore Executive Office of PDVSA has developed 2 campaigns for the installation of underwater equipment that interconnects the 4 fields that make up the Mariscal Sucre project. A few days ago the third and final campaign was started to fully unify the production platforms.
Juan Santana, Project Manager of the Underwater System, said that «the Accelerated Production Scheme will provide part of the production of gas to replace diesel from the National Electrical Grid and may be traded in the domestic or international market, bringing more wealth to Venezuela».
The skilled labor in the oil industry, together with the workers of the French engineering company Technip, carry forward the installation of 360 tons of equipment, valves, pipes and fittings for the mechanical completion of the underwater infrastructure. Offshore activity will last about 100 days.
This work will be carried out 130 meters deep, with remotely operated equipment (ROV) and 24 professional saturation divers who work continuously for 6 hours and 190 pounds pressure in two crews.
