EnQuest continues offshore UK exploration and development programs

Aug. 13, 2014
EnQuest has issued a review of its UK North Sea development and exploration programs.

Offshore staff

LONDONEnQuest has issued a review of its UK North Sea development and exploration programs.

In the northern UK North Sea, ongoing work at the Thistle field life extension project includes a control systems upgrade and simplification of processes, and improvements to jacket and topsides structural integrity.

At the Dons fields, a new production well has been drilled in Don Southwest Area 22 (TJ). This should be tied in to the subsea system and placed on production in September. Chemical treatment continues to remove scale. Offshore construction has started on a project to upgrade the water injection system capacity.

Early this year, EnQuest successfully applied for an “out of round” license in the Don North East area for blocks 211/18e and 211/19c, including discovered Area 23 and Area 24 oil accumulations and an undrilled extension to the Don NE field. The company has since submitted a field development plan for the Ythan structure, which should come onstream in late 2015/early 2016.

At Heather, following commencement of rig operations early this year, a workover was completed of the H56 well, the first on the field in nearly a decade. The rig has since drilled and completed the first new well, H64, a water injector (previously named H44). It came online in July, and will provide pressure support and increased oil production in a nearby producer. This year’s program includes a side track of H48 as a new producer and a workover of the crestal E-Block producer H47.

Conversion is under way at theKeppel Shipyard in Singapore of the hull of an oil tanker for the Kraken field FPSO. At the offshore field location pipeline route surveys have been performed, boulders have been removed, and preparatory pipeline facilities have been installed. Later this year two integrated seabed template structures will be installed. EnQuest has executed an engineering, procurement, construction, and installation contract for the subsea, umbilical, riser, and flowlines (SURF) package, and is evaluating drilling rig options. This year the company also plans to drill the Kraken West appraisal well “Tyrone.”

In theGreater Kittiwake Area (GKA) in the central UK North Sea, which EnQuest acquired from Centrica in March, the company expects to start seeing improvements later this year following a maintenance shutdown and a current workover of the Mallard satellite.

The company’s recentAvalon oil discovery is expected to be tied in at some point to the GKA infrastructure, and it is assessing further exploration opportunities. One of these, Eagle, should be drilled later this year. The company continues development work on another probable tie-in project involving the Scolty/Crathes fields.

At Alma/Galia, subsea work is completed apart from mooring and riser pull-ins to the FPSO. A third development well has been completed and a fourth is under way.

Commissioning has started on the FPSO. However, marine and topside legacy issues associated with earlier work mean that construction at the UK yard has advanced slower than expected. To avoid winter weather problems the FPSO will likely sail to the field next spring, followed by first oil in mid-2015.

Offshore Sarawak in Malaysia, the company has secured a small field development arrangement withPetronas for the Tanjong Baram field. It has started work on a near-field tieback to the West Lutong A complex.

08/13/2014