DeepStar: 15 Years of Collaboration Between Contractors, Academia, and the Oil Companies on Technology for Deep Water
Authors: Grecco Mike 
Published: October 2008

The DeepStar program is a joint industry technology development program focused on advancing the technologies to meet its member's deepwater business needs in delivering increased reserves and production from deeper and deeper water depths. The program has been a successful collaboration between oil companies, vendors, regulators and academic and research institutes that are focused on creating value in the development of deepwater assets.

The DeepStar program is in its 15th year and has operated through a phased approach, with each phase lasting approximately two years and focusing on specific deepwater needs, today DeepStar is in Phase VIII. This program is geared toward developing technology for operations in up to 10,000ft (3000m) water depth, enhancing the industry's ability to operate in 4000ft to 6000ft (1200m - 1800m), enabling oil tiebacks up to 50 miles (80km), HPHT in deepwater environments and improving the economic threshold for challenging deepwater reservoirs. DeepStar Phase VIII commenced in January 2006 with nine Oil Company Participants. DeepStar participants represent a strong mix of large and mid-size operators, USA and non-USA based, drawing in a rich array of diverse expertise to address common deepwater challenges. In addition, DeepStar currently has over 55 service and vendor companies, along with research and academic institutions who collaborate on technology solutions.

With the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, DeepStar has the opportunity to guide Department of Energy funds on the order of $15 million per year on ultra-deepwater technology. These funds will be managed through the Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA). DeepStar's role in RPSEA and the process by which these Ultra-Deepwater funds are directed is summarized. Introduction: The deepwater areas of the world have been shown to contain significant reserves and remain one of the best exploration and development opportunities for oil companies. As new exploration trends evolve the industry finds itself pursuing hydrocarbons in ever deeper water depths. The ultra-deepwater (greater than 1500 meters water depth) has presented the oil and gas industry with commercial and technical challenges which pushes the limits of current technology. Producing hydrocarbons in this challenging environment requires the advancement of technology and science in order bring those resources into production as reserves.

A joint industry project called the DeepStar program was launched in 1992 as one means of moving the industry's current capabilities in deepwater technology into the future. Basically, DeepStar's initial objective is to identify and develop economically viable, safe, low-risk methods to produce hydrocarbons from deepwater. Founded under the name "Deepwater Staged Recovery System", the initial goal of DeepStar was to advance what was then perceived to be the future plan for developing deepwater fields primarily for the Gulf of Mexico - long subsea tiebacks from 3000ft (900m) water depths to the existing shelf infrastructure. But as technology and operations evolved, so did DeepStar and the group quickly broadened its scope to include all aspects of deepwater operations worldwide ranging from exploration and drilling to production and transportation.