EnQuest takes lead role at Crawford

May 10, 2011
Fairfield Energy has agreed to farm-out 32% of its interest in UK northern North Sea block 9/28a – Area B to EnQuest.

Offshore staff

STAINES, UK -- Fairfield Energy has agreed to farm-out 32% of its interest in UK northern North Sea block 9/28a – Area B to EnQuest. This includes the Crawford oil field and the 9/28a-18 Porter discovery.

Subject to government and partner approvals, EnQuest will become operator of the fields, and will bear development costs of up to £34.8 million ($56.9 million).

Following the transfer, Fairfield subsidiary Fairfield Acer will retain a 20% interest in the block, with EnQuest and remaining partner Valiant Petroleum holding respectively 51% and 29%.

Crawford and Porter have combined 2P reserves of 26.8MMboe. Crawford is 300 km (186 mi) northeast of Aberdeen in 385 ft (117 m) of water. It originally came onstream in 1989, but technical difficulties put an end to operations in December 1990, after the field had produced 3.9 MMbbl of oil.

The initial Crawford development focused on the Jurassic Hugin formation. However, appraisal drilling by new operator Fairfield in 2007 confirmed the extension of the field’s Triassic reservoir to the north of the previous development wells. This also led to the discovery of oil at Porter within a separate Tertiary horizon.

The partners aim to submit a development plan next year for the Crawford Triassic reservoir in combination with Porter.

05/10/2011