Hurricane details agenda for phased Lancaster project west of Shetland

Offshore staff

GODALMING, UK – Hurricane Energy has issued details of its planned Lancaster oil field early production system (EPS) west of Shetland in its latest results statement.

The aims are:

• To provide long-term production data to confirm the productivity and extent of the Lancaster fractured basement reservoir to optimize full-field development (FFD) planning and sanction

• Start development of the field’s resources of the field in a phased manner, to enhance the understanding of the subsurface ahead of FFD

• Deliver an acceptable return on capital invested.

Last August the company appointed Bluewater to provide theFPSOAoka Mizu for the EPS and TechnipFMC for front-end engineering and design (FEED) studies.

Bluewater’s program is focused on repair and life extension of the FPSO, which has served elsewhere in the North Sea; a new mooring system and turret buoy; vessel and topsides upgrades.

TechnipFMC’s FEED work concerns provision of the subsea, umbilical, riser, and flowlines and subsea production system elements with Petrofac Facilities Management working on the well completions.

The EPS concept is based on production from the existing Lancaster 6 horizontal well (205/21a-6) and horizontal side track well (205/21a-7Z) being completed and tied back to the turret-moored FPSO via individual flowlines.

The design, allowing for topsides metering of the individual wells, employs dual-pod electrical submersible pumps in each well to provide artificial lift with additional well data provided from downhole gauges.

The main tasks are the re-entry and completion of the two horizontal wells; procurement, fabrication, installation, and commissioning of subsea infrastructure comprising twin 6-in. flowlines, a power and control umbilical, risers and subsea manifold; procurement, fabrication and installation of a new turret buoy and mooring systems; and recommissioning of theAoka Mizu.

Future oil export will be by shuttle tanker, with produced gas during the EPS phase used on the FPSO for either power generation and/or utilities, with surplus gas likely flared.

After the initial EPS period, Hurricane will assess the feasibility for tiebacks and future gas export as part of the FFD concept plans based on the long-term productivity testing of the initial two EPS wells.

Hurricane aims for first oil in 1H 2019 subject to engineering, procurement, and construction progress post FID in mid-2017. The latter remains subject to required funding being in place and the regulators’ approval of the Lancaster EPS FDP and the environmental statement.

05/12/2017