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NEO Energy has kicked off offshore geophysical survey work and is continuing FEED studies on the Buchan Horst redevelopment in blocks 20/5a and 21/1a in the UK Central North Sea as it lays the groundwork for a potential final investment decision later this year. Partner Jersey Oil & Gas, in a 2023 results report, said that mobilisation of a first offshore survey vessel took place earlier this month to acquire the “geophysical and geotechnical data required to finalise the subsea and drilling rig contract tendering process and inform the FPSO mooring design” for Buchan. In addition, Jersey said that all the FEED work that is required ahead of a potential project sanction decision being taken is ongoing. It commented that “engineering is progressing to plan”. NEO, and its joint venture partners Jersey and Serica Energy, submitted the formal environmental statement for the Buchan development in January, outlining a scheme that will see the field produced via seven wells, five of them producers, tied back to the Western Isles FPSO.
Ineos has awarded Rosetti Marino a contract, worth $9.6 million, for frontend engineering design for the Hejre HPHT gas production platform offshore Denmark. The work encompasses all engineering activities related to the Hejre topsides and the topsides tie-in modifications required on the South Arne platform. The FEED work will be the basis going into the project execute phase where the successful tenderer under a new and separate contract will continue into an engineering, procurement, construction, installation, hook-up, commissioning contract (EPCIC) award, deliver the topsides to Ineos and carry out offshore activities required for installation and field start-up. Rosetti notes that two successful tenderers have been awarded identical FEED scopes and the work will be performed in a dual FEED approach over a period of about 10 months. In the last part of the FEED period a tender will be issued to the two FEED contractors for the EPCIC award. Activities are due to start immediately, for expected completion early in 2025.
Ithaca Energy has kicked off polymer injection in a series of new wells drilled for its Captain enhanced oil recovery (EOR) phase two development in block 13/22a in the UK North Sea. The UK-listed operator, in a social media post, said polymer injection had begun and that six out of seven injection wells had been brought online. Ithaca described the start-up as “a major milestone for the company”, although it has previously pointed out that the process will take some time to feed through into higher production rates. Ithaca, when it reported final 2023 results in late-March, said it now expects the full impact of the EOR phase two project to be felt in 2026 when it is forecast to double output from Captain compared with 2023 levels. The operator acknowledged then that it was expecting a “longer path” to polymer well-driven peak production than was originally expected, but added that estimates for ultimate reserves recovery for both EOR phases one and two remained unchanged. The project has included the drilling of eight new wells with the COSLPioneer.
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