Thistle ready for new development phase

Feb. 25, 2010
Development drilling is set to resume on the Thistle field in the UK northern North Sea after a gap of more than 20 years.

Offshore staff

ABERDEEN, UK -- Development drilling is set to resume on the Thistle field in the UK northern North Sea after a gap of more than 20 years.

This follows completion of a $170-million program to refurbish the platform and its facilities, which included reactivation of the drilling rig and installation of a new top drive.

Operator Lundin Petroleum has identified numerous new drilling and workover prospects following interpretation of a 3D seismic acquisition campaign in 2008. These, it hopes, will extend the ultimate recoverable reserves from Thistle and its satellite field Deveron.

President and CEO Ashley Heppenstall said: “We are now embarking on a new drilling program which will last for a number of years and materially increase Thistle production.”

02/25/2010