North Sea Reporter

Published by KL ENERGY PUBLISHING LTD.

North Sea Reporter is an established and respected weekly publication which provides

in-depth news and analysis of the NW European offshore oil and gas industry. 

Production

Harbour Energy is forecasting production this year in a range of 150,000-165,000 b/d of oil equivalent from its existing portfolio, down from 186,000 boed in 2023. The UK-listed operator, which in December agreed to buy most of Wintershall-Dea’s oil and gas assets for $11.2 billion, said the expected fall in output reflects an “unusually high” level of planned shutdowns from its operated hubs and in the Apache-operated Beryl area that coincide with planned pipeline outages. The operator, in a trading and operations update on 18 January, added that 2024 output will also be held back by the impact of deferred drilling in the Beryl area and from TotalEnergies-operated Elgin/Franklin in the UK North Sea and the anticipated sale of the company’s assets in Vietnam. Harbour also forecast that output in 2025 will hold steady at 2024 levels with investment in new drilling and projects, along with less maintenance, making up for natural decline. Harbour’s 2023 production total of 186,000 boed was itself down from 208,000 boed in 2022, but was within the company’s guidance range for last year of 185,000-195,000 boed. This year, Harbour is planning increased UKCS drilling targeting “high-return, quick payback opportunities” around its operated J-Area, Greater Britannia and Armada, Everest and Lomond plus Erskine hubs.

Drilling

Deltic Energy has released details of a new competent persons report on the Shell-operated Pensacola discovery in block 41/5a in the UK Southern North Sea that gives estimates of in-place volumes that are close to those previously made by Deltic itself. The UK listed company, in a statement on 19 January, said that the report by RPS Energy estimates the Pensacola structure contains gross hydrocarbons in place of 326 million barrels of oil equivalent on a P50 basis, which it added was in line with its own previous estimate of 342 million boe. Deltic said that the 41/5a-2 Pensacola discovery well targeted the flank of the structure “proving the presence of thinner flank dolomites sourced from the erosion of dolomites deposited updip over the crest of the structure”. It added that “while thicker, better-quality reservoir is predicted to be present updip, the properties of the dolomite reservoir over the crestal part of the field are one of the main uncertainties” in estimating Pensacola’s resource base. However, it suggested that data recently released by the North Sea Transition Authority on ONE-Dyas-operated Crosgan appraisal well 42/15a-4 drilled early last year on the crest of that structure supported its view that “a thicker, higher quality reservoir is likely to be present across the crest of the Pensacola structure”.

Mediterranean/Africa briefing

Tullow Oil is forecasting production this year of 62,000-68,000 b/d of oil equivalent from its Ghana-focused business after output in 2023 of 63,000 boed. The UK-listed operator, in a trading statement on 24 January, said output from its operated Jubilee and TEN developments is expected to average around 55,000 boed this year, including 7,000 boed of gas output. On the operational front, the company said water injection issues that were encountered in Jubilee have now been resolved and that it brought on stream four production wells and another three water injectors in the field in 2023. Another five Jubilee wells, comprising three producers and two water injectors, are expected to come on stream later this year. Tullow said these wells will complete the activity planned at the start of its drilling programme in Ghana “around six months ahead of schedule with excellent drilling performance”. However, the operator said that later this year it plans to take a break from drilling in Ghana “while existing well stock sustains production in Jubilee and TEN decline continues to be effectively minimised”. That suggests that the Noble Venturer drillship could be on track to complete its contract with Tullow in Ghana earlier than originally expected. Tullow said it plans to resume drilling in 2025 and expects to begin the search for its next rig this year.


Weekly coverage includes:

  • Rig Market - contracts, dayrates and utilisation
  • Drilling – a round-up of North Sea activity 
  • Construction and engineering
  • Field development and production
  • Contract awards
  • Company news
  • Data tables of industry activity
  • Mediterranean & W. Africa briefing
  • News briefs
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