A new £400million Apache platform will extend the production life of the Forties Field by another 20 years, owners have said.
The Forties Alpha Satellite Platform (FASP), completed by the British manufacturer OGN, is the first single-construction-yard built in the UK in 25 years.
The final part of the build – the deck – was towed down the river Tyne to the North Sea Forties Field on Wednesday evening.
The project extended the life of the field by another 20 years, even though its decommissioning was due to start in 2013.
The £400million construction project, by the Apache Corporation, is expected to extract the first oil in autumn this year and provide up to 25,000 barrels of oil per day.
“We are looking forward to taking delivery of one of the largest oil platforms ever built on the Tyne,” said Jim House, Apache North Sea’s managing director.
“We have worked successfully in partnership with OGN over the past three years and our confidence in them and with the UK supply chain has established an excellent example.
“I’m especially proud that Apache is installing this new platform at the same time production from Forties was originally scheduled to scale down. Production in the Forties Field is currently running at an average of 57,000 bpd of oil, five times higher than the outlook of 10 years ago.”
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