Venezuela Offshore Oil And Gas Production Development: Past, Present And Future
Authors: La Salvia H. Perez , Schwartz E. , Contreras M. , Rodriguez J.I. , Febres A.G. , Gajardo E. 
Published: October 2008

This paper presents a short history of offshore oil and gas production in Venezuela starting in Lake Caracaibo in 1923, The main emphasis has been the results of the recent R&D and the exploratory offshore programmed in areas like Orinoco Delta located in The Atlantic Ocean, Northeast and North west Venezuela in the Caribbean sea.

In the RED offshore programme the main objectives were:To establish the local Environmental, Oceano graphical, Geotechnical and Seismicity conditions for the Veneztielan Continental Platform.To give a technical support to the PDKSA Operating Affliates during the exploratory programmes including:Develop Accurate Drilling Vessel Positioning Systems,evaluation of sea bottom geotechnical conditions for safely operating the. Jack-ups and Drilling Vessels involved in the exploratory wells andTo identify those areas which because their special nature require further investigation to establish preliminary type of platforms required for the areas to he developed or to evaluate other solutions proposed Foreign Consultant Engineering Companies to the PDVSA Operating Affiliated Companies.

The results of the exploratory programmed showed the discovery of a large Gas Field in North of Paria and Oil in Gulf of La Vela and Gulf of Paria. The main objective of DWA for the coming future will be to develop the North of Paria Gas Field through the initially named Christopher Columbus Project now Sucre Gas, S.A., a consortium conformed by .MGOKEN, S.A. SHELL EXXON and MITSUBICHI. This Company has the responsibility to develop North of Paria Gas Field to produce liquefied natural gas mainly to be exported.

The objective of this paper is to give an idea of the history of the Venezuelan Oil and Gas Offshore development giving emphasis to the results of the INTEVEP S.A. R(D offshore programme and to show some results of the particular characteristics of Oceanographical, Environmental, Geotechnicaland Seistnic conditions in the main areas evaluated during the exploratory programme; Orinoco Delta, Gulf of Paria and North of Paria, At the same time to Indicate the contribution of Foreign Consultants Engineering Companies, Universities and research Groups that supported INTEWEP, SA. to obtain the results to be showed in this paper and to help INTEWEP, S, A. in personnel training during the R&D offshore programme.

INTRODUCTION

The pioneering Venezuelan offshore works for Oil and Gas Production were initiated in 1923 on the waters of Lake Maracaibo in Western Venezuela where due of the largest oil reservoir in the World is located. Since then, development has progressed until today, there exist approximately 17000 foundations for well platforms and other structures constructed in water depths up to 113 ft(fig 1)

More recently PDVSA (the Venezuelan Oil Holding Company) initiated in 1977 a R&D offshore project through INTEVEP, S,A. the Research Affiliate to evaluate the environmental, oceanographical and geotechnical conditions in seven potential areas located in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea along the Venezuelan Continental Platform up to depth of 200 meters: Orinoco Delta, Gulf of Paria, North of Paria, Tuy - Cariaco area, Gulf of Triste, Gulf of La Vela and Gulf of Venezuela.