Aberdeen is to get a jobs boost from international engineering and project management company AMEC.
The firm revealed yesterday it had been appointed by Xcite Energy Resources (XER) to do consultancy work to help develop the Bentley heavy oil field in the North Sea, 100 miles east of Shetland.
Bentley is one of the largest proven but undeveloped fields in UK waters and the estimated total development cost is more than £1billion.
The value of the deal to AMEC has not been announced, although it is understood it could run into millions of pounds.
AMEC said its project would be run from its Aberdeen office. An initial 10 people will work on the contract, rising to more than 100. These workers would be a mix of existing AMEC employees and new starts, with most of them based in the Granite City.
Working as part of XER’s project consortium, AMEC will provide technical consultancy, engineering and project management for the well test programme planned for the middle of this year.
The first phase of the development is planned to start production next year.
The reservoir contains around 160million barrels of recoverable oil and new technology is allowing heavy oil fields such as Bentley to become viable. AMEC said its heavy oil experience and capability in flow assurance, engineering and project management, coupled with the drilling and subsurface capabilities of the project consortium, will maximise the probability of a successful well test this year.
John Pearson, managing director for AMEC’s Europe and West Africa business, said: “I am delighted that we are able to work with XER in helping to unlock Bentley as part of the remaining reserve potential of the UK continental shelf.
“Projects such as Bentley continue to show the resilience of the North Sea oil and gas industry and we look forward to working with XER’s team and other consortium members. This is a significant project for AMEC and builds on our heavy oil experience.”
Richard Smith, chief executive of Banchory-based XER, added: “We are looking forward to working together with AMEC. Its experience, skills and capabilities will greatly assist us in bringing the Bentley field into production at the earliest opportunity.”
AMEC has an annual revenue of more than £2.5billion and employs more than 21,000 people worldwide. Its natural resources operation is based in Aberdeen, where it employs about 3,000 people.