Petroleum mining is a hot energetical front of the country development. This is not a simple process of drilling and pumping out of oil and gas as it is a most sophisticated process with a number of important steps involved. Offshore oil field blasting services are not only a specific technology, but also are activities closely related to the national security and defense.
Urgent need and specific technology
- In the past, oil field blasting services of Vietnam petroleum industry were mainly supplied by abroad companies. This kind of services requires a sophisticated and specialized technology, Oil field blasting services are used in a number of stages of petroleum industry including surveying, exploration, exploration, maintenance and decommissioning stages. In Vietnam, decommissioning works were not conducted as most of mine fields are active, but sooner or later, decommissioning works and offshore structure removals should be performed for a number of wells and platforms for mine rehabilitation.
- In the interview with reporters of the People Army Paper, Mr. Nguyen Van Tinh, manager of the designing and maintenance department of the Joint Venture Company Vietsovpetro suggested that:
- Currently, the Vietsovpetro manages the two huge oil fields – White Tigers and Dragons. Most of wells and structures were constructed 15-20 years ago. According to the international and national regulations, wells and structures should be decommissioned after ceasing of oil and gas exploitation in order to rehabilitate the fields to the original state. This kind of work is too sophisticated and highly specific so that our companies are not fully experienced in and in addition to that there were no similar work done in the country. We have a master plan for decommissioning works of structures after full services. Of course one of the methods used for decommissioning work is blasting for severance of platform jackets piles.
- Also according to Mr. Tinh, all platforms of White Tigers and of Dragons oil fields are of fixed type that were erected at a water depth of 50-60m and anchored on the sea floor by jacket piles penetrated to the sea floor at a depth of 50-60m. Besides there are a numbers of finished wells to be plugged and abandoned. Severance by explosives is a relatively common process in the world decommissioning practice, however, there are only few of companies supplying this kind of services.
- According to Mr. Mike Urgigkit, chief engineer of Economic Technology Joint Stock Company (Metco) suggested that “oil field blasting services include seismic blasting used in petroleum exploration, well perforation and severance of stuck production pipes or drill pipes in fishing services and severance of wells and of jacket piles in decommissioning works and also services for transport and storage of explosives. I have experience of more than 30 years in dealing with such kind of services and I know that most of decommissioning works involve the use of explosives.
- Metco Chief Engineer Mr. Mike Urbigkit presents oil field blasting services in petroleum industry at the workshop.
- Mr. Nguyen Van Tinh confirms that Vietnam and many of other South East Asia countries operate a large number of active oil wells and offshore structures. In the next 5 - 10 years, demand for decommissioning works increases continuously.
National Economic Development united with National offshore Security and Defense
- At the recent workshop “Guidance on Decree No 39/2009/ND-CP and introduction of Metco oil field blasting services”, organized in Vung Tau City (Baria-Vungtay province), Mr. Do Duc Khoa, deputy manager of Industrial Safety and Environment Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam, had suggested: license holding companies supplying oil field blasting services in Vietnam are two foreign and two local companies, one of which is Metco. “This kind of services is directly involve the use of explosives, therefore, companies running such a kind of services should fully comply with the Decree No 39/2009/ND-CP issued on April, 23, 2009 by the Vietnam Government. This decree set a number of rules for commercial explosive usage and safety. Metco as a newly established company licensed to supply such services has a prosperous future’’ said Mr. Khoa.
- The “prosperous future” of Metco as Mr. Khoa said, is because this is not only a specific technology, highly potential, but also because the principle share holders of Metco are 3 well known entities. They are the Military Industrial Material Supply Company (GAET), BIDV Security Company (BSC)) and Petroleum Financial Corporation (PVFC), a member of Petrovietnam Group. Extensive experience of GAET in commercial explosive supply is a full factor for pursuing the management of the National Ministry of Defense agree to establish a joint stock company.
- Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Tran Manh Hung, Metco General Director, shared: “Our targets are to perform all stages of offshore oil field blasting. At present time, we are collaborating with some experienced partners from abroad in order to perform current contracts, thus step by step we shall manage the work and the technology. As a multibusiness company such as new material R&D, Tourism, Construction etc,, however, Metco shall concentrate on oil field blasting business as its strategic core business. Metco in coordination with other Vietnamese companies step by steps will be safely and actively involved in the safe use of explosives in the petroleum industry including exploration, exploitation and decommissioning of offshore structures. Metco put a target to facilitate the use of local made explosives for petroleum industry of Vietnam.
- From the point of view of explosive management of the government, Lieutenant Colonel Mr. Pham Van Tien, Department of Police Administative Management of Social Security and order (Ministry of Police) suggested that:: A number of Metco senior officers are military, therefore, the involvement of Metco in this kind of business shall create a even more favorite conditions for Management of Social Security and order, management of explosives and firearms and as result, development of national economics will beneficiary as well as the assurance of offshore security and defense.
