UK-based operator Premier Oil says work on its west of Shetland Solan development remains on track for start up in 4Q, while it looks for cheaper options for its Norwegian Vette project.
Premier Oil says it is also moving towards pre-FEED on its Falklands Sea Lion project and remains on budget and on schedule with its North Sea Catcher development, with first oil planned for 2017.
Solan
Solan is a four-legged steel structure supported normally unmanned facility with subsea oil storage. The subsea tank, jacket and topside were installed in August/September last year, in Block 205/26a, in 135m water depth.
On Solan, Premier has switched out the Victory Flotal for a walk to work vessel, Siem Spearfish, until another floatel, Regalia, arrives mid-August, as commissioning progresses towards first oil. Offshore productivity increased, due to better weather and organizational changes.
The first pair of producer-injector wells has been tied in and commissioning of the subsea infrastructure started in June. Drilling of the second pair of producer-injector wells has started and first oil remains on target for 4Q.
The Solan field is in license P164, which Premier operates with partner Chrysaor. Solan is a Jurassic field and is expected to produce about 40MMbbl over its lifetime.
Catcher
Catcher is on schedule for first oil in 2017, with subsea installation work ongoing. Two templates have been installed and gas export pipe lay is underway. The Ensco jackup rig is now on hire and on track to start development drilling shortly. Construction of the FPSO is ongoing, with the mating cone module completed and delivered to the hull fabrication yard.
The Catcher area is expected to produce 96 MMboe, with a peak production rate of around 50,000 b/d.
The development project will comprise 22 subsea wells (14 producers and eight water injectors) on the Catcher, Varadero, and Burgman fields. These will be tied back to an FPSO, being built in Singapore, leased from BW Offshore.
Vette (Bream)
Premier says it is now considering alternative lower-cost production facilities to a newbuild FPSO, with a view to making FID in 2016. Premier had been in talks with Sevan Marine for an FPSO on the Vette field. In January, the firm had said it was due to submit a development plan for the project later that month.
Bream, an oil field, was discovered in the 1970s about 50km northwest of the defunct Yme field. The Bream development concept was planned to be an FPSO with subsea production and water injection wells. The nearby Mackerel development would then be a 17km subsea tie-back to the Bream facilities.
Falklands
Work is continuing to progress pre-FEED activities and contractor selection on its Sea Lion project in the Falkland Islands. A 2016 sanction decision is still targeted for the development.
On its broader drilling campaign, the firm, which made discoveries at Zebedee and Isobel Deep in the North Falkland earlier this year, is now considering further drilling at Isobel Deep, instead of going on to Jayne East, when the semisubmersible drilling rig Eirik Raude returns to the North Falklands basin in August. Noble Energy is currently using the Eirik Raude in the south Falkland Basin under a rig sharing deal.
Image: Solan during topsides installation.
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