Lloyd’s Register Chosen as Project Management Contractor for Major Offshore Drilling Project
Lloyd’s Register’s well management expertise is being used by Ecopetrol Costa Afuera SAS (ECAS) of Ecopetrol, for offshore exploration drilling operations in Colombia.
Ecopetrol Costa Afuera SAS (ECAS), an affiliate company of Ecopetrol, the National Oil Company of Colombia, is contracted with Lloyd’s Register (LR) to provide wells project management services to drill the Molusco-1 exploration well offshore Colombia.
Drilling commenced in September.
The project is being delivered over a nine-month period and includes specialist technical and project management expertise covering drilling well management, well engineering, in-country logistics, safety and operations supervision.
LR’s Vice-President of Wells, Matt Rothnie, said, “The Molusco-1 project marks a significant milestone for ECAS as it is the first offshore drilling project the company will deliver as Operator. The company elected to outsource well management support to provide a high level of assurance that is seeing the Molusco-1 project developed using the latest technical insight to help ECAS operate with confidence.”
He highlighted, “Our experience in managing well operations in remote locations and supporting new country start-ups, was a key decision factor for ECAS in deciding to choose LR for their project.
“LR is excited to be involved in this high profile activity. Our Wells group identified Colombia as a target growth region a number of years ago and our hard work has now paid off. We are looking forward to progressing work with ECAS and are committed to further strengthening Ecopetrol’s capability in the offshore sector.”
Ecopetrol is the largest and primary petroleum company in Colombia, where it accounts for 60% of total production. It is one of the top 50 oil companies in the world and the fourth largest oil company in Latin America. The company is also involved in exploration and production activities in Brazil, Peru and the United States Gulf Coast, and owns the main refineries in Colombia, most of the network of oil and multiple purpose pipelines in the country, petrochemical plants, and is entering into the biofuels business.
The Molusco (Spanish for Mollusk) prospect is inside Block RC-9, operated by Ecopetrol along with partner India’s ONGC Videsh.