Offshore staff

Venture Production (North Sea Developments) Ltd. submitted application to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for consent to develop the Greater Kittiwake Area, approximately 138 km east of Peterhead. Consent was requested to drill appraisal wells into the Grouse, Wagtail, and Whinchat fields, develop the suspended Goosander production well, install a 30-in. pipeline bundle between Goosander and Kittiwake and risers to the Kittiwake platform, drill water injection wells into the Grouse and Goosander fields, drill development wells into the Wagtail and Whinchat fields, tie the Grouse, Wagtail and Whinchat fields back to towheads in the Goosander to Kittiwake pipeline bundle, and install a new shuttle tanker loading system for oil export from Kittiwake.

Venture Production is operator of the Kittiwake platform between UK and Norway. The Kittiwake field has been producing since 1990, and at this late stage in the field life production levels are declining. However, the platform and its processing equipment can perform a useful role, receiving oil via pipelines from satellite fields, which do not justify another platform installation. Currently, the Mallard and Gadwall satellite fields 13-15 km southeast of Kittiwake supply the Kittiwake platform in this way. The company proposes to develop four further discoveries in the Greater Kittiwake Area (GKA), to optimize the utilization of the Kittiwake platform, and extend the useful life of the Kittiwake platform for a number of years.

The company's proposed development will involve mobilizing a semisubmersible drilling rig to complete an existing well at the Goosander discovery as a production well, and to drill new wells to appraise the reserves in the Grouse, Wagtail, and Whinchat discoveries.

Venture Production will connect Goosander to the Kittiwake platform by pipeline. The company will fabricate two pipeline bundles at Wick. Each bundle comprises: one 8 1/2-in. production pipe insulated with polyurethane foam, one 4 1/2-in. gas lift line, one 6 1/2-in. water injection line, and a number of smaller lines for hydraulic fluid and chemicals. All of these lines will be contained inside a 30-in. carrier pipe.

7/7/05