Serica Energy plans to decommission the Orlando oil field in the UK northern North Sea following the failure of the field's sole producing well, while simultaneously progressing a new multi-well drilling campaign that could support production growth elsewhere in its portfolio, according to the company’s first-half 2026 report.

Orlando reaches end of field life

Serica Energy (operator, 100%) plans to decommission the Orlando oil field in UK northern North Sea's Block 3/3b.

This follows a failure in May of the electrical submersible pump in the sole producing well. Another factor in the decision is operator CNRI’s planned closure next year of the host Ninian platform, 11 km to the west.

Serica will now look to plug and abandon (P&A) the well, which entered production in May 2019, along with removal of the field’s pipeline and associated subsea installations.

North Sea drilling campaign takes shape

Elsewhere in the region, the company is close to contracting a rig for a multi-well program across multiple fields, likely starting in third-quarter 2027 with the SCE and SCW wells at Bruce, the first drilled on the field since 2012.

Both can be tied back to existing subsea infrastructure.

The planned campaign would be Serica's first major drilling program in several years and is aimed at maximizing recovery from existing hub developments while appraising future growth opportunities across the UK North Sea. The initial focus will be on the Bruce Field, where no new wells have been drilled since 2012.

The projects reflect Serica's strategy of maximizing value from mature UK North Sea infrastructure while pursuing selected exploration opportunities.

Kyla redevelopment could revive suspended production

Thereafter, the rig could be relocated to drill on Kyla and at Glendronach, west of Shetland, or used for further wells at Bruce or to fulfill some of Serica’s P&A obligations.

Serica is aiming to produce the remaining reserves of 10.1 MMboe via a single horizontal well tied back to Triton via the Bittern subsea facilities.

Kyla, in Block 29/2c, is the redevelopment of a previously producing oil field, 20 km southeast of the Dana Petroleum-operated Triton FPSO. It was shut-in prematurely in 2020 due to decommissioning of the host Banff FPSO.

The company has submitted an environmental statement and field development plan. Discussions are also progressing with the partners in the Tornado project in the same area; both developments would help extend the economic life of the Shetland gas plant.

Serica’s line-up for 2027

Beyond its redevelopment projects, Serica also plans to test the exploration potential of the multi-target Skerryvore prospect in the central North Sea in 2027, providing an opportunity to add new resources alongside efforts to maximize recovery from its existing asset base.

The Skerryvore prospect is in license P2400 in the UK central North Sea, 60 km south of the Erskine gas-condensate field.