DANA Petroleum, the Aberdeen oil and gas operator said yesterday its production in 2008 was expected to average about 39,000 to 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd), representing 30% growth over 2007.
This compares with an earlier forecast of 40,000-45,000boepd.
The company said recent production in the UK had been lower than previously anticipated because of a combination of factors.
Alongside extended platform shutdowns for UK field maintenance programmes there had been some downtime associated with the Mallard well in the Greater Kittiwake Area, compressor problems on Claymore, and facility work on the host platforms which process production from the Johnston and Hudson fields, it added.
It said continued strong production from Egypt had partly offset the downtime in the UK.
Dana said its 2008 capital investment programme was expected to be about £170-£180million.
It said that in 2009, up to 17 exploration wells were scheduled, with rigs for 14 of these already secured.
The company added that key wells in the period would include drilling in the Rinnes area in the UK North Sea, the Tornado and Anne Marie prospects west of Shetland, the Eitri and Trolla wells in Norway, the SE July and Nefertiti (South October) wells in the Gulf of Suez, Egypt, and two wells in the offshore Nile delta, Egypt.