North Sea operator ConocoPhillips hopes a new drilling programme will secure the life of one of the region’s oldest oil fields with a new drilling programme for another 40 years.
The Ekofisk reservoir, around 200miles south-west of Stavanger, is one of the oldest in the North Sea, with 29 platforms serving eight fields close to the UK continental shelf border.
The key North Sea field, which was discovered 45 years ago, already produces more than 100,000 barrels of oil plus gas for the UK and European markets. It also serves as a hub for other key North Sea fields.
But now operator ConocoPhillips is to increase drilling on Ekofisk as it looks to strengthen the long-term future of the field.
“The year will be very challenging for the well operations organisation,” said ConocoPhillips Norway well operations manager David Forbes.
“However, we are highly motivated to deliver the new wells on schedule and abandon the old wells efficiently.”
The programme will see the West Linus drilling rig starting a multi-year campaign for the Ekofisk 2/4 Z project, which will have 36 wells, while a further eight new wells will be completed for nearby Ekofisk 2/4 VB seabed installation.
A further 35 new wells will be drilled on the site in the next few years, with the company saying the work would secure the field for a further 40 years.
The field began production in 1971, with the most recent find – Ekofisk South – starting output of around 70,000 barrels per day equivalent late last year. ConocoPhillips operates the field, with Total, Eni, Petoro and Statoil among their partners.
The company will also plug the first ever North Sea wells drilled by Norway, with the Rowan Gorilla VI rig due to arrive in the next few weeks to finish the work started by shutting down the Alpha platform last September.
Alpha’s closure marked the end of 39 years of oil production from the platform – the first permanent production installation in Norway’s waters – with the rig plugging 23 wells.
New accommodation facilities are also due to be installed, along with 40 new wells, on the neighbouring Eldfisk field later this year to help extend its life for a further 40 years.
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