Offshore staff
LONDON – Serica Energy intends to submit a develop plan for the Columbus gas/condensate field in the UK central North Sea.
This will involve tying a single subsea well into the proposed pipeline between Dana Petroleum’s Arran field and Shell’s Shearwater complex.
Under this option, fluids from Arran and Columbus would be commingled combine in the new pipeline and be produced together over the Shearwater processing facilities via an existing riser onto the Shearwater platform.
The various parties plan to collaborate to move forward the plan for Columbus for submission to Britain’s Oil & Gas Authority (OGA) by mid-year.
However, this depends on a commitment to also develop Arran in the timeframe prescribed by the OGA – Columbus could not be developed through Shearwater on a stand-alone basis, Serica stressed.
In the meantime, the company will continue commercial arrangements withChrysaor, the Lomond field operator, in case the Shearwater option falls through. The company says the Lomond option has been engineered in detail and is ready to be implemented.
Block 22/19c, around 20 km (12.4 mi) west of Columbus, contains the HP/HT Rowallan prospect where there are potential condensate targets in the Triassic Skagerrak and Middle Jurassic Pentland formations.
Operator Eni is aiming to drill the first exploration well later this year, with tenders out for a rig. Serica, one of the partners, is fully carried on all costs for the well.
04/13/2018
