Aberdeen-based oil and gas explorer Xcite Energy submitted its development plan yesterday for its UK North Sea Bentley field to the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
Aim-listed Xcite has said previously its plans for first-stage production are to use a simultaneous drilling and production rig with an infield floating production vessel for offtake.
A second-stage production programme in the core Bentley area, estimated to have 150million recoverable barrels of oil, would include a platform.
A third production stage could involve a further platform in the south of the field, in block 9/3 about 100 miles east of Shetland, according to Xcite’s June analyst briefing.
No one was available to comment from Xcite yesterday.
The firm has said it is to use the Rowan Norway deepwater jack-up unit, designed for simultaneous drilling and production, for an initial commitment of 240 days to allow drilling of up to six wells as part of an anticipated three-year first-stage production with drilling expected to start late this year.
Bentley has been estimated to have recoverable reserves that could be upwards of 200million barrels of oil, making it one of the North Sea’s biggest remaining undeveloped discoveries.