EVEN allowing for Total bringing Laggan/Tormore onstream, BP will remain cock o’ the walk West of Shetland as operator of the Clair, Foinaven and Schiehallion fields. On November 26, Foinaven notched up 11 years of production. By any measure, this, the very first development West of Shetland, has been a success story, including attracting investment in infill drilling, pursuing satellite opportunities – notably East Foinaven I
Turning to Schiehallion, BP says it is “currently assessing the potential for further development” of this sister to Foinaven and that a “project team has been established to develop options” for maximising recovery from the field. The company told Energy that production from Schiehallion would be shut down for maintenance in summer 2009. This is to allow essential modifications to be made to the production ship’s water ballast tanks.
BP is also progressing development of Clair, with phase-one drilling still ongoing. Output is currently running around 60,000 barrels per day, close to the expected plateau.
Appraisal of the Clair Ridge prospect is continuing to test the potential for further field development.
BP said: “We successfully drilled and tested three appraisal wells during 2006-07 and completed a 3D seismic survey over the Ridge area. We have recently appointed Amec to begin the conceptual engineering studies, which will take us through to the end of 2009.
“This work programme, combined with the appraisal data we have acquired, will help the Clair partners test the design concepts and reach a preferred option for further development of the field.”
Basically, Clair phase two is likely to be based on a platform broadly similar to the phase-one1 structure. The outline is for a 14,000-tonne integrated topsides, 10,000-tonne steel jacket and some 60,000 barrels per day production capability. Thoughts are also on a phase-three development at Clair and, in the 25th UK Licensing Round, BP and its partners in Clair were awarded exploration acreage in the south-west area of the Clair field.
“We have already completed a 3D seismic shoot of the blocks and will use this to assess the potential for future exploration drilling,” BP added.
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