Offshore simply means "away from or at a distance from the coast"(Cambridge dictionary). I was opportuned to go to one of the production platforms of my Industrial training company after successfully completing my BOSIET (basic offshore safety and induction training).
A Production platform is a platform which houses equipment necessary to keep an oil or gas field in production, with facilities for temporarily storing the output of several wells.
After the helicopter landed on the helideck, I was so scared as this was my first time offshore. I saw how the water was moving and the wind there was so strong, I thought the wind would mistakenly blow me into the water.
The platform comprised of three platforms combined. The first was the accommodation unit, the second was the Oil production platform and the third was the Gas gathering compression platform (GGCP).
Gas gathering is a program that will reduce and eventually elimate routine gas flaring in the region. Until I was at the GGCP, I thought all gases they produced were flared. But I was told the gas was being used as fuel and also as a means of artificial lift system to gas lift some Wells to reduce the bottomhole flowing pressure and optimize production.
At the Production platform(PP), I was opportuned to test some crude oil samples that were brought from different wellhead. The basic sediment and water(BS&W), API gravity and the temperature of the samples were all tested. The PP separates gas, oil and water before the gas and oil are sent to the terminal for further processing.
It was a nice experience going to the Production platform and being able to test samples of crude oil.
If there are questions you want to ask feel free to drop them at the comment box.