Offshore staff
LONDON -- Premier Oil’s Balmoral platform in the UK North Sea has been shut down since last month to allow urgent maintenance work to be performed. Production should, however, resume on Feb. 1.
In other UK fields where Premier is a partner, the BP-operated Wytch Farm onshore/offshore Dorset has been shut in since mid-November due to a leak on an in-field flowline. Operator BP has conducted a pipeline integrity study, and production should re-start in the second half of this month.
As for new UK projects involving Premier, upgrade work has started in Norway on the FPSO for the Huntington field. Development drilling is due to start in April, followed by installation activities this summer, with the FPSO arriving at the offshore location by early 4Q 2011. Premier expects first oil late this year or early 2012.
Construction bids are in for the subsea tank for the Solan field West of Shetland (where Premier has the option to take a 40% interest), and bids also are imminent for the platform jacket. Topsides FEED is under way, and the project should receive sanction in March.
At Rochelle in blocks 15/26b and 15/26c, discussions continue concerning a tieback to the Nexen-operated Scott platform.
In the Norwegian North Sea, Premier and partner Det norske oljeselskap are still reviewing concepts for the Frøy field re-development. They are performing pre-FEED (front-end engineering and design) work with third parties regarding tieback opportunities, and examining the potential for improved recovery via gas injection.
At the BG-operated Bream field, formal concept selection is targeted for this quarter, but this will depend on confirmation of the availability of the preferred production platform.
As for exploration drilling involving Premier in the Norwegian sector, the Gnatcatcher well was spudded just before Christmas and should reach its objective within the next week. The Grosbeak appraisal well on the same block should spud in March or April.
A letter of award has been issued for a drilling rig for the Gardrofa well, due to start drilling this summer.
01/114/2011
