Pipeline Route Survey Starts at UK North Sea's Anning and Somerville Fields. Platform Bids Received

Oil and gas company Hartshead Resources NL and its partner Rockrose Energy said Monday that the Gardline vessel “Ocean
Observer” had mobilized to the Anning and Somerville field locations in the UK North Sea to start a survey of the pipeline routing for the gas offtake from the fields. 

The survey is expected to be completed in early October, subject to any weather downtime.

The MV Ocean Observer, an 80.4-meter Multi Role Survey Vessel, will conduct a work program that will provide the Company with confirmation of the seabed and sub seabed soil conditions, help finalize the pipeline design and facilitate efficient pipeline installation from the Anning and Somerville locations.

In addition to the start of the pipeline survey, as per the development contracting plan, Hartshead said it had received bids for the EPIC contract for the Anning and Somerville Platforms. 

The company will now review the technical and commercial elements of each bid prior to providing a recommendation to the JV Operating Committee as to which company to award the contract to.

Keith Bush, Hartshead COO said: "With our third offshore operation of the year underway, the Anning and Somerville development is rapidly taking shape. In conjunction with the ongoing subsea survey program, receipt of the platform bids allows the team to continue to progress the
development programme towards the execution phase of the project.”

In July, Viaro Energy's subsidiary RockRose Energy completed a farm-in agreement with Hartshead Resources, acquiring a 60% working interest in Production Licence P.2607. Hartshead will retain a 40% working interest in the offshore license.

The project is a phased redevelopment of gas fields in the Southern Gas Basin.

Phase 1 will see the development of the Anning and Somerville fields, and Phase 2 will focus on the Hodgkin and Lovelace fields.

Anning and Somerville, located in Block 49/17b, were both originally discovered in 1969, with Somerville coming onstream in 1999 and Anning in 2008. The fields ceased production in 2015, at which point Somerville had produced 48 bcf of gas, and Anning had produced 16 bcf of gas.