Oil companies Taqa Bratani and Total E&P UK are moving ahead with two new fields in the waters off Shetland.
Both firms have now applied to the UK Government for consent to develop their finds.
Taqa’s Cladhan project is 55 miles north-east of Shetland, while Total’s Edradour development is 34 miles north-west of the islands.
Taqa has built up a 40.1% stake in Cladhan this year through three transactions. Its partners are Wintershall (UK North Sea) 33.5% and Sterling 26.4%.
Last month, Taqa became operator of the Cladhan discovery. There has been speculation that it could have substantial reserves.
Taqa Bratani managing director Leo Koot said last month: “This is an important step for the company as it represents a major new field-development project to be operated by Taqa Bratani on behalf of itself and joint-venture partners.”
Sterling has previously said it was considering various development scenarios for Cladhan – either a subsea development system or dedicated floating production unit, with first oil targeted as early as 2014.
Total said at the start of last year that it had made a new gas and condensate discovery at Edradour.
The company said yesterday that estimated development costs are around £300million and first gas is scheduled for 2015.
Total’s base case reserves estimate is 18million barrels of oil equivalent and peak flow rates could be about 22,000 barrels a day.
The field will be brought on stream using a subsea tie-in to the new pipeline being created to take gas from the Laggan and Tormore fields to Shetland.
Patrice de Vivies, senior vice president for Northern Europe, said previously that Edradour was another meaningful discovery for Total’s west-of-Shetland region.
He added: “It should reinforce our third production hub on the UK continental shelf around the Laggan and Tormore fields, after the success of our existing Alwyn and Elgin-Franklin hubs.”
Total has a 75% operating interest in the Edradour licence, with Dong E&P (UK) holding 25%.
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