UK government approves North Sea Ythan development

Oct. 9, 2014
EnQuest and partner Ithaca Energy have received approval from the UK government to develop the Ythan field in the UK northern North Sea.

Offshore staff

CALGARY, CanadaEnQuest and partner Ithaca Energy have received approval from the UK government to develop the Ythan field in the UK northern North Sea.

Ythan is adjacent to the producing Don Southwest field, and contained within the southern area of the Don North East license, which was awarded last March.

The partners plan a phased development involving an initial production well drilled from the Don SW field infrastructure. The semisubmersibleStena Spey is expected to start operations later this year, allowing first production to be achieved during 2Q 2015.

Ithaca says the well will target the same Brent reservoir sequence as in the Don SW field, in a location where an appraisal well has previously been drilled and tested.

Elsewhere in this region, Ithaca is a partner in theCauseway Area development, where production has been shut in following the failure of an oil export pump on the TAQA-operated host North Cormorant platform. The repair could take several weeks to complete.

In the Ithaca-operatedGreater Stella Area (GSA) project in the UK central North Sea, the fourth Stella development well has been completed, and the jackup ENSCO 100 has moved to the field’s main drill center to start operations on the fifth Stella development well.

This year’s subsea infrastructure installation campaign has also been completed with the remainder due to finish up in 2015.

Construction work continues on the main deck of the GSA’sFPF-1 floating production platforms, with completion and delivery of first hydrocarbons now scheduled for mid-2015.

10/09/2014