Offshore staff
LONDON – Premier Oil has issued a progress report on its current UK field developments.
Following first oil last month through theSolan platform west of Shetland, production was subsequently shut down to allow for tie-in of the second water injector well.
Final commissioning of the water injection system is under way, and the ESP completion for the P2 well is being installed with tie-in of the well planned for early June, followed soon after by a resumption of production.
Solan should reach 20-25,000 b/d of oil this summer when both pairs of producer-injector wells are onstream.
TheCatcher project in the UK central North Sea is under budget and on schedule for first oil in the second half of 2017.
Gross capex to first oil is currently estimated at $1.35 billion, 15% below the originally sanctioned price. Cost savings have come from contract renegotiations, release of contingencies as work programs are completed, and re-phasing of contractor payments and work scopes in light of good progress to date in the subsea installation and drilling campaigns.
The four remaining drilling templates are now in place and installation is under way of the flowline bundles, towheads and mid water arches, with the dynamic risers and umbilicals due to be delivered next month.Premier aims to complete all subsea work this year, ahead of schedule.
Catcher’s buoy, currently in transit to northeast Scotland, and the mooring system should both be installed this summer. Drilling on the first Catcher template has been completed, connecting four wells, with work due to start shortly on the Burgman template.
The FPSO hull should reach Singapore by July, to be followed by integration and commissioning of the topsides.
Last month the jackupEnsco 100 spudded the Laverda/Slough prospect, near the Catcher area, with the well encountering 13 ft (4 m) of net oil-bearing Tay sands at Laverda, but with no indications of hydrocarbons in the deeper, higher-risk Slough prospect.
The well is now being P&A’d ahead of the rig continuing development drilling on Catcher.
Next month Premier plans to drill the Bagpuss heavy-oil exploration prospect in the Moray Firth offshore northeast Scotland, using theOcean Valiant (currently operating at Solan).
Elsewhere, the company continues to interpret recently acquired 3D seismic over its licenses in the Ceara basin offshore Brazil.
Offshore Mexico, it is conducting a detailed technical evaluation of its blocks 2 and 7 acreage, with a first well on block 7 likely next year.
05/11/2016
Share your news withOffshore at [email protected]
