Apache continuing Forties oil production increase

July 7, 2011
Apache Corp has brought onstream two new production wells at its Forties field complex in the UK central North Sea.

Offshore staff

HOUSTON -- Apache Corp has brought onstream two new production wells at its Forties field complex in the UK central North Sea.

Charlie 4-3 flowed at an initial rate of 12,567 b/d of oil, the highest ever from the field. It follows Charlie 2-2, which was completed in March with initial output of 11,876 b/d. The other new well, Delta 3-5, began flowing at 8,781 b/d.

Apache acquired a new 4D time-lapse seismic survey over Forties last year, to help it identify accumulations of by-passed oil within the field area. Charlie 4-3 and Delta 3-5 successfully targeted two of these accumulations, and they were also the eighth and ninth development wells newly online at Forties this year.

More 4D driven targets are being pinpointed – Apache expects to drill a total of 16 wells on the field during 2011.

When Apache succeeded BP as operator of Forties in 2003, production was down to 40,000 b/d. However, the latest wells have lifted gross daily rates at times to 70,000 boe/d, in spite of constraints caused by construction programs and temporary pipeline closures.

At the Charlie platform, Apache’s development drilling has increased production from below 5,000 b/d in 2006 to the present 30,000 b/d. The company expects full transmission capacity to become available later this summer as planned repair and maintenance work is completed and the Bravo pipeline comes back online.

07/07/2011