Offshore staff
LONDON -- Serica Energy says it has concluded negotiations with BG International over gas offtake from the Columbus field in the UK central North Sea.
Subject to final documentation and partner approvals, financing options for Columbus can now be put in place. Assuming sanction for thedevelopment plan – submitted last June to the UK’s Department of Energy Climate Change – Serica expects first production in late 2014 or early 2015.
Most of the field is in the Serica-operated block 23/16f, the remainder lying in BG’s block 23/21 containing the Lomond production complex. Columbus’ gas is rich in condensate and therefore requires processing before it can enter a gas transportation system.
Serica has been working with BG on the front-end engineering and design (FEED) for a newbridge-linked platform to handle production from Columbus. This should be installed next to the existing Lomond field platform and also will receive output from other nearby fields for processing on the Lomond platform and onward transport through the CATS and Forties pipeline systems to mainland Britain.
Consultants Netherland, Sewell & Associates estimate Columbus’ Proved plus Probable Reserves at 70.6 bcf of gas and 4.9 MMbbl of liquids.
In the northern UK North Sea, Serica has a 100% interest in part-blocks 210/19a and 210/20a, adjacent to the TAQA-operated Otter oilfield.
The blocks contain various oil prospects at Jurassic Brent Group and Home Sand levels. Serica is looking for a partner to drill a well this year on the South Otter prospect.
3/30/2012
