Vietnam, Indonesia projects coming together for Premier

Offshore staff

LONDON -- Premier Oil expects to start development drilling before mid-June at the Chim Sáo field off southern Vietnam.

The platform jacket has been installed at its offshore location. Construction of the topsides is 87% complete, and conversion of the project’s FPSO in Singapore is 40% complete. First production remains on schedule for July 1, 2011.

Offshore Indonesia, Premier says a wellhead platform is due to be installed in September for the company’s Gajah Baru project, with development drilling getting under way in October. At end-April, the project was 52% complete.

In the UK North Sea, Premier says tendering has started for a drilling rig for the Huntington development, where negotiations are in progress to transfer the FPSO Sevan Voyageur from the Shelley field.

The company has approved an infill well on the Balmoral field, which should lift output through the floating production platform in 2011, with further volumes also due later this year from Talisman’s Burghley subsea tieback.

In April, the joint venture partnership of Det norske oljeselskap and Premier received responses to an invitation to tender for facilities for the Frøy re-development in the Norwegian North Sea. Premier says work is proceeding on a further tender for a wellhead platform, and partners in neighboring blocks have been approached concerning tie-in of additional reserves.

Following the successful appraisal of the BG Norge-operated Bream field last year, development concepts are under review. According to Premier, an FPSO remains the most likely option, and a tender for a production unit will be issued shortly.

05/13/2010