What once was the second-largest crude oil producer for Mexico recently became the largest oil-producing field for the country. Ku-Maloob-Zaap is located 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of Ciudad del Carmen in the Gulf of Campeche. Situated in 328 feet (100 meters) of water, the project is made up of five fields, including Ku, Maloob, Zaap, Bacab and Lum.

The Ha-1A exploration well discovered the first field, Ku, in 1980. Next, the Maloob field was discovered in 1984, and the Zaap field was encountered in 1991. First production at Ku-Maloob-Zaap commenced from the Ku field in 1981, and projects have been ongoing to continually increase production from the complex.

Redevelopment

In December 2002, Pemex announced a US $3.15 million (42.2 million peso) investment in Ku-Maloob-Zaap to increase production over an eight-year period. The revitalization program included drilling 82 wells, 78 of which were development wells and four were nitrogen-injection wells, as well as installing 17 new platforms and constructing 32 new pipelines.

The new platforms will consist of seven drilling platforms, four production platforms, one production hub and compression center, four accommodation platforms and one platform that will host telecommunications.

In June 2004, ICA Fluor, a JV between Fluor and Empresas ICA Sociedad Controladora, was awarded a $169 million contract to engineer, procure, fabricate, transport and install four offshore drilling platforms on Ku-Maloob-Zaap. Weighing in at 30,000 tons (27,215 tonnes), the platforms were completed in August 2005.

In November 2004, Gulf Island Fabrication was awarded a contract to fabricate two jackets and piles for the HA-KU-S and HA-KU-M platforms that were installed on the Ku-Maloob-Zaap field in the first quarter of 2006.

Pemex installed Mexico's largest offshore platform at Ku-Maloob-Zaap in December 2006. Mexican company Swecomex built the 10,000-ton (9,072-tonne) KU-S platform, which has a production capacity of 250,000 bopd.

Furthermore, J. Ray McDermott was contracted to provide the Maloob-C drilling platform for the redevelopment project. Built at the company’s Altamira facility, the drilling platform is host 18 wells and consists of an eight-legged jacket and a two-level deck.

The new pipelines include five oil and gas pipelines extending 103 miles (166 kilometers) long, 20 gas lines, three nitrogen lines and four oil pipelines.

In a $46 million contract, Global Industries was awarded the installation work for two pipelines on Ku-Maloob-Zaap. One pipeline will link two platforms within the project facilities, and the other pipeline will connect a subsea installation with another platform on the project.

In 2007, Pemex drilled 12 new development wells at Ku-Maloob-Zaap and began injecting nitrogen into the reservoir to increase pressure and boost production from the formation.

In September 2009, Pemex awarded Demar Instaladora y Constructora a $120 million contract to fabricate a power station and install underwater cables to increase electricity supplies to Ku-Maloob-Zaap. The new power station will supply power to seven drilling platforms on the complex.

Yuum K'ak'naab FPSO

In 2005, Pemex announced its intent to hire an FPSO for the Ku-Maloob-Zaap field that would be able to process and offload both oil and gas. Named Yuum K'ak'naab, the FPSO was the first FPSO to be stationed in the Gulf of Mexico and is serving as a production hub and export terminal for the area. Contracted in a 15-year agreement with Pemex, the vessel is valued at $758 million and owned and operated by Bergesen Offshore.

DNV partnered with the Bergesen Group to convert the 360,000 dwt tanker Berge Enterprise at the Sembawang Shipyard in Singapore. The conversion work included coating of slop and ballast tanks, equipment installation, a modified cargo system, submerged pumps in the tanks, a new ringmain fire water system and upgraded living quarters for a crew of up to 110 people.

The vessel has a 600,000 bopd handling capability and 200,000 bopd processing capability, as well as gas export abilities. Boasting the third-largest oil production capability of other all FPSOs at the time, the Yuum K'ak'naab FPSO has the largest oil throughput of any FPSO in the world.

In May 2006, Aker Marine Contractors was awarded the contract to install the mooring and riser system for the Yuum K'ak'naab FPSO.

Arriving from Singapore in the Gulf of Mexico in March 2007, the FPSO is anchored northwest of the Ku-Maloob-Zaap field in waters measuring 328 feet (100 meters) deep. Yuum K'ak'naab began production on June 18, 2007.

Production

After initially commencing production in 1981, the Ku-Maloob-Zaap project has considerably ramped up output over the years. Ku-Maloob-Zaap produced an average of 740,000 bopd in 2008. In fact, the field surpassed the mega-producer Cantarell, also in the Gulf of Campeche, in July 2009 to become Mexico’s biggest producer, reaching an average of 797,000 bopd.

In an effort to proactively combat water seepage into the production, a problem that has greatly diminished production at Cantarell nearby, Pemex has already established water-separation facilities at Ku-Maloob-Zaap. Additionally, the company started injecting nitrogen into the reservoir early on and has been drilling more complex horizontal wells at Ku-Maloob-Zaap in an effort to sustain high levels of production. Pemex hopes to reach a production peak of 830,000 bopd at Ku-Maloob-Zaap and then maintain that level for the next seven years.