Customer challenges
- In 2009, Japan Drilling Company (JDC) approached Expro, and a number of other service companies, to collaborate on the project
- Establish criteria for commercial production of natural gas from frozen methane hydrate by 2018
Expro Excellence
- Expro’s involvement began nearly 10 years ago, following early studies on the production of hydrates and played critical role in first successful marine methane hydrate production well test offshore Japan
- The final design to enable a well test to be performed – required adapting Expro’s subsea system to accommodate electrical feed-throughs for downhole pumps and heaters
- Significant engineering work required to ensure the unique system was fit-for- purpose, requiring collaboration between various stakeholders
- Expro provided the modified subsea safety system and downhole pressure gauges for the well test
Value to client
- Japan were the first country to have produced methane from hydrate formations below the seabed as a result of the well test
- Strategically important to Japan as a means of reducing their dependency on foreign gas imports in the future
