US oil firm Apache has submitted an “enhanced” application to develop the North Sea Corona field after the UK Government asked for more clarity on its plans.
Apache filed an environmental statement for Corona in March, but the UK’s Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) raised “a number of clarifications”, a government spokesman said.
He said: “In light of the number of clarifications and the nature of clarifications requested, OPRED advised Apache to submit the response in the form of an addendum to the original environmental statement.”
The addendum is subject to a further consultation period, which ends on October 14.
The project would involve drilling operations, the installation of a subsea manifold and a tie-back from Corona to the Beryl Alpha platform.
Houston-headquartered Apache intends to start offshore construction work later this year with first oil slated for 2019.
The field is located 172 miles east of Shetland in the Beryl area.
Apache announced the discovery of Corona in October 2015, alongside the Callater and Seagull finds.
At the time, Apache said the three finds contained net recoverable reserves of 50-70 million barrels of oil equivalent.
A spokeswoman for Apache said: “We were requested to provide additional environmental information relating to the planned development of the Corona field.
“The enhanced environmental information is contained within the updated environmental statement, with an extended consultation period providing interested parties with an opportunity to review and comment as appropriate.”
Apache entered the North Sea after acquiring the Forties field from BP in 2003.
It bought the Beryl, Ness, Nevis, Nevis South, Skene and Buckland fields from ExxonMobil in early 2012.
The company recently achieved first oil from the Callater field.
Callater, formerly known as the “K discovery”, is located about 210 miles north-east of Aberdeen, within the Beryl area.
In its first-half results announcement at the start of August, Apache said Callater had started producing early and under budget.
Apache said 19,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day were being pumped from two wells following the completion of a tie-back.
Apache has a 55% working interest in Callater. Its project partner is Shell.
Recommended for you
