EnQuest has announced that first oil from the North Sea Scolty/Crathes development was today achieved under budget and ahead of schedule.
EnQuest and the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) hailed the milestone as an example of the Maximising Economic Recovery UK (MER UK) strategy in action.
Scolty/Crathes, which had a price tag of £83million net to EnQuest just under a year ago, was the only pure oil offshore project approved by the OGA in 2015.
Oil from the two fields, which are located about 83 miles from St Fergus, near Peterhead, will be pumped to the Kittiwake platform and exported via the Forties pipeline.
Operator EnQuest and field partner MOL Group estimate that the fields hold up to 15 million barrels of oil.
They expect unit operating costs to be below $15 a barrel in the peak volume years, while production should continue through to 2025.
EnQuest chief executive Amjad Bseisu said: “EnQuest is pleased to confirm the delivery of first oil from Scolty/Crathes ahead of schedule and under budget, approximately a year after the field development plan was approved and the project was sanctioned.
“The realisation of the potential of these ‘small pools’ has been enabled by cost efficiency, technology application and solid delivery.
“The OGA was set up to enable maximising economic recovery of oil and gas in the UK and Scolty/Crathes is an excellent example of MER being put into practice.”
OGA chief executive Andy Samuel said: “The safe and successful first oil milestone from Scolty and Crathes is testament to EnQuest and MOL’s efforts, working at pace and in excellent collaboration with the service sector to create efficiencies and value.
“This has unlocked the economic recovery of a small pools development and sustains the wider Greater Kittiwake Area and infrastructure. It embodies good asset stewardship which is crucial to achieving MER UK.”
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