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