Huntington wins sanction, Solan revised

Nov. 16, 2010
Britain’s Department for Energy and Climate Change has approved the development plan for the Huntington field in UK lock 22/14b in the central North Sea.

Offshore staff

LONDON -- Britain’s Department for Energy and Climate Change has approved the development plan for the Huntington field in UK lock 22/14b in the central North Sea.

Huntington, operated by E.ON Ruhrgas, will be developed using the FPSO Sevan Voyageur, which is undergoing an upgrade to include water injection and gas handling facilities. According to partner Premier Oil, a development drilling contract is imminent. First oil is expected during 1Q 2012.

Elsewhere in the UK sector, Premier says its partner Chrysaor Resources has revised the development concept for the Solan field west of Shetland from the previous articulated column to an unmanned steel jacket-based solution.

Work is under way to start the tendering process for the EPCI program.

Offshore Norway, Det norske Oljeselskap has received responses to its wellhead platform Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the Frøy field redevelopment in the North Sea.

Premier, a 50-50 partner in the project, says technical studies are in progress as part of pre-FEED work with third parties concerning potential tie-backs in the area and on a water alternating gas (WAG) reservoir development scheme.

The partners have agreed to move towards concept selection in February, and are aiming for project sanction next summer.

At the BG-operated Bream field, Premier says responses have been evaluated to the tender for a production unit, and the partners are pursuing a preferred option. Again, a final concept selection decision is due in 1Q 2011.

Also in the sector, Premier will participate in two forthcoming wells on license PL378. One will be an appraisal of the Grosbeak discovery, the other a test of the nearby Gnatcatcher prospect. The program is due to start next month.

A well on the Gardrofa prospect should drill in mid-2011. Discussions are under way to contract a semisubmersible rig.

11/16/2010-