Offshore staff
CALGARY, Canada – Ithaca Energy has updated progress on its various field development programs in the UK North Sea.
TheAthena field in the central sector has completed its first full year of operations, producing more than 3.6 MMbbl to date. However, output is currently constrained while the P2 well is shut-in ahead of a repair to the electrical cable serving the well.
A DSV has been brought in to fix the fault. Ithaca expects reinstatement of production from the well in the next few weeks.
Recently production of water with oil started, although later than originally anticipated. The water production profile will be monitored to provide information for forecasting the field’s long-term potential, including the scope for future investments.
In the northern North Sea, following its takeover of Valiant Petroleum, Ithaca is the new operator of the producingCauseway field and associated Fionn satellite. The company has completed subsea tie-ins to allow the Fionn well to enter production, and is cooperating with TAQA, operator of the host Cormorant area infrastructure, to facilitate startup of the installed electrical submersible pumps and water injection at Causeway.
Tests on the Fionn well have confirmed the potential for higher flow rates if the well (a recompleted appraisal well) can be side tracked to a more optimal location. A rig will start drilling operations toward end-2013, with the side track located updip of the existing well to improve access to the prime reservoir formation and to target further reserves in a secondary reservoir.
Later this year, the Causeway Area fields will shut down for six weeks due to planned maintenance activities on the TAQA-operated Cormorant facilities.
At the EnQuest-operatedDon Southwest field in the northern sector, a new production well has been completed and is expected to come online soon through the Northern Producer platform. The drilling rig is preparing to start work on a new water injector in the same area to support production and reserves recovery.
6/27/2013
