EnQuest reveals plans for UK North Sea oil production redevelopment projects

Offshore staff

ABERDEEN, UK -- EnQuest has submitted an environmental statement for redevelopment of two decommissioned fields in the UK North Sea. The company is aiming for sanction later this year for its projects for Alma (ex-Ardmore) and Galia (ex-Duncan).

EnQuest also has assumed operatorship of the Crawford and Porter oil fields in block 9/28a, and has defined a work program which should lead to development sanction in the first half of 2012.

Elsewhere in the UK sector, the company has farmed into the Crathes and Moon prospects, taking a 40% interest and assuming operatorship from Challenger Minerals North Sea. An exploration well is planned this fall.

Due to the proximity of both prospects to the Scolty discovery, a successful Crathes well could lead to a joint development of Crathes and Scolty.

As for EnQuest-operated fields already in production in the northern North Sea, the A57/58 well on Thistle/Deveron should come onstream later this summer. The Thistle DEV-P1 well will also be drilled in 2011, and should come online early in 2012.

The Thistle facilities will be shut down for about a month during this quarter for maintenance, including a planned shutdown of the oil export system. A water injection workover should be drilled to improve sweep and voidage replacement in the main area of the Thistle field.

Results of recent drilling on Thistle have increased confidence in the field’s potential, convincing EnQuest to invest in a power upgrade project, designed to ensure that security of power supply and availability of water injection is improved.

The power supply upgrade project, which includes installation of new power generation facilities, should be completed by the end of 2012.

At Don Southwest/West Don, the 211/18a-S7 Area E exploration well was completed in June as a discovery, named Conrie. The well is due online this quarter, likewise the Don Southwest S8Z well.

During the first half of the year, hydrocyclones were installed and commissioned on the Heather platform to improve oil in produced water. The Heather drilling rig upgrade program also got under way, in preparation for a development drilling program planned to start next year.

EnQuest has increased its interest in the Broom field, a satellite tieback to Heather, to 63%, by agreeing to acquire Dyas’ 8% working interest for $7.5 million.

08/12/2011