Offshore staff
LONDON – Premier Oil will assume operatorship of the Bream project in the Norwegian North Sea from BG in October. Additionally, the company operates adjacent license PL406, containing the Mackerel discovery.
Premier plans to develop theBream field via three production and two water injection wells tied back to an FPSO, with a further subsea tieback on Mackerel. It aims to submit a plan of development for the Bream area during the first half of 2014 following optimization of subsea layout, well design, and the FPSO contracting strategy.
The two fields contain around 50 MMbbl of oil, with further upside in the low risk Herring prospect on PL406.
Elsewhere in the Norwegian North Sea, Premier is a partner in the Det Norske oljeselskap-operated Froy field. Technical studies have been completed for a joint processing hub to receive production from the fields in the Froy area.
Work also continues on an alternate standalone development option for Froy, focused initially on the Horst area of the field. The partners will decide on their preferred solution next year.
In the UK central North Sea, production from the Premier-operated Balmoral area dipped following a temporary shutdown of the Balmoral floating production vessel in April and the shut-in of fiveBalmoral field wells since June. A subsea intervention campaign is scheduled for end-September, using a dive support vessel for the repairs.
Production from the satellite Brenda D3 well has also been offline since April because of a downhole valve failure, although it is expected to be reinstated in November.
As for the Premier-operated Catcher area project, work is progressing on a development involving subsea tiebacks of theCatcher, Varadero, and Burgman fields to an FPSO. Earlier this year static and dynamic reservoir modeling were completed and well locations and the drilling sequence have been optimized.
Premier has received bids for the well systems, christmas trees, and a heavy duty jackup. The campaign will likely entail continuous drilling of up to 15 producers and eight water injectors, starting in 2015 and continuing beyond first oil.
Subsea FEED too is finished and Premier expects to receive EPCI bids for the subsea facilities in October. Three contractors have submitted offers for the FPSO construction and operating contract – one should be chosen ahead of project sanction at year-end.
In April, Premier discovered more oil in the Catcher area at the Bonneville structure, 4 km (2.5 mi) south of Burgman. This will be tied into the facilities after first oil.
8/22/2013
