Chevron Offshore (Thailand) Ltd has safely and successfully completed its first Total Wellhead Platform Reuse project in the Gulf of Thailand, reflecting the company’s focus on practical innovation that improves efficiency, lowers costs and supports efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Chevron repurposed the topside and jacket from the Benchamas V wellhead platform, which had reached the end of its service life in Block B8/32 in the Gulf of Thailand, for the new Chaba B wellhead platform within the same concession block. The project received approval from the Department of Mineral Fuels and completed all required inspection and certification processes with the relevant authorities. Installation was completed in early July, with production expected to begin in 2027.
"Since becoming the first company to discover natural gas in the Gulf of Thailand, Chevron has continued to apply technologies and new operating approaches to help support Thailand’s energy development. This includes the use of horizontal drilling to improve field development efficiency in 1999, the establishment of Thailand’s first Integrated Operations Center in 2022, the industry-first implementation of a Trimaran vessel for offshore crew transfer in 2026, and, most recently, the reuse of an entire wellhead platform structure," said Chatit Huayhongtong, president of Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production Ltd.
"The project improves operational efficiency, lowers costs and helps make smaller petroleum resources in the Gulf of Thailand more viable to develop, while supporting Chevron’s efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions. The reuse of the wellhead platform is estimated to avoid around 4,280 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions compared with the conventional approach of decommissioning the existing platform, constructing a new platform and undertaking related activities."
“This achievement was made possible by Chevron teams and our partners, whose expertise, commitment and strong safety culture helped deliver the project successfully. It demonstrates how technology and innovation can create meaningful value when supported by collaboration and teamwork," Mr Chatit added.
The Total Wellhead Platform Reuse project builds on Chevron’s Topside Reuse initiative, which was developed and first implemented in Thailand in 2017. To date, Chevron has reused topsides from 14 wellhead platforms. Including the latest Total Wellhead Platform Reuse project, the company estimates it has avoided more than 27,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. The results demonstrate how effective management across the lifecycle of offshore production facilities can deliver practical environmental benefits.
