Offshore staff
LONDON – Independent Oil and Gas plc (IOG) has issued a progress report on its multi-field gas development program in the UK southern North Sea.
Fabrication of the Phase 1 Southwark and Blythe platforms is advancing, with a two-shift system still in place to manage COVID-19 restrictions.
Southwark’s cellar and sub-cellar decks have been fabricated and painted, with deck stacking to follow early next week. The subcontracted mezzanine and weather decks are on target and jacket fabrication should begin soon.
Hydrate inhibitor tanks have been delivered and installation has started. Crane pedestals have been built and delivered, and fabrication of helidecks and suction piles is making good progress.
As for the subsea campaign Subsea 7 and supporting contractors continue preparations for installation of the Phase 1 pipelines and Elgood umbilical. Subsea 7’s spool base in Leith, near Edinburgh is welding the 12-in. Blythe and 6-in. Elgood reel lay pipelines with installation due to follow later this summer.
Construction of the 6-km (3.7-mi), 24-in. pipeline extension from the offshore Thames Pipeline system to Southwark should take place during the first half of 2021.
Petrofac is assisting the selection process for the jackup that will manage the five-well Phase 1 drilling program. Detailed well design is progressing, orders have been placed for critical drilling services, and tendering is under way for cementing, drilling and measurements, conductor/riser analysis, surface wellheads and trees, and subsea wellhead tooling.
The pre-drill rig site survey for the Elgood subsea well should finish this week.
At the Bacton gas reception terminal on the Norfolk coast, the TRF slugcatchers have undergone clean-out, with residues encountered less than expected. Full internal inspection will follow in August.
Tie-in activities will take place during a scheduled shutdown of the terminal later this year.
Finally, reprocessing to improve subsurface imaging of the Vulcan Satellites area (Southwark, Nailsworth and Elland fields) should be completed by 4Q, assisting optimization of field developments and well designs.
Andrew Hockey, CEO of IOG, said Phase 1 should come onstream next summer. “We are also making good progress with the seismic reprocessing work to advance our subsurface interpretations of all pre-development assets in the IOG portfolio, including Harvey, Redwell, Nailsworth, Elland, Goddard and Abbeydale.
If successful, the additional nearby discovered resources that we have specifically targeted in our [UK offshore] 32nd Round applications could also create further portfolio upside.”
07/31/2020
