Spirit Energy plans to submit a decommissioning program for the Chestnut oil field in the UK central North Sea.
(Courtesy Spirit Energy)
The FPSO Hummingbird Spirit.
Offshore staff
ABERDEEN, UK – Spirit Energy plans to submit a decommissioning program for the Chestnut field in the UK central North Sea.
The field has produced more than 27 MMbbl of oil, almost four times the initial estimate of 7 MMbbl, since start-up in 2008, via the Sevan 300 (circular) FPSO Hummingbird Spirit. The original estimate was for a two-year production life.
Three wells are currently active, the last drilled in 2020.
Spirit as operator, has now started to prepare for the first stages of decommissioning with the FPSO owner Altera Infrastructure. Dana Petroleum is also a partner in Chestnut.
The Hummingbird Spirit will be removed from the offshore location with Altera assessing potential re-use options, or recycling. In addition, the risers will be flushed, cleaned, and taken back to shore. Start date for the offshore campaign depends on final cessation of production from the field. Spirit also plans to work with the supply chain to devise an efficient well P&A campaign.
