Work to overhaul transformers on board the Kraken FPSO has restored production levels, according to an update from vessel operator Bumi Armada.
Production from the North Sea vessel was shut-in in early June following a hydraulic submersible pump (HSP) failure, though output resumed around three weeks later following remediation work on key transformers.
Later in July the company reported that one HSP transformer has been reconditioned from a batch of failed HSP transformer units, boosting production to approximately 90% of its previous level.
Moored around 220 miles from Aberdeen, the floating production storage and offload (FPSO) vessel is leased and operated by duty holder Bumi Armada on behalf of Kraken field operator EnQuest (70.5%) (LON: ENQ), with the remaining stakes held by Waldorf Petroleum.
Kraken is a converted Suezmax tanker and has a nameplate production capacity of 80,000 barrels per day, storage capacity of in excess of 600,000 barrels and is able to handle 460,000 barrels per day of fluids.
It has served the namesake oilfield since 2017.
In its latest 9 August stock exchange update the Malaysian-listed firm said an additional HSP transformer had now been reconditioned.
The installation of a second reconditioned unit allowed the vessel’s operational performance to been restored “to pre-shutdown levels” the company added.
With the current three working HSP transformers, redundancy is expected to be fully restored with the installation of a fourth new HSP transformer. Bumi said this is estimated to arrive in September.
The work plan tallies with previous reports which cited sources close to the project who suggested that three of the four HSPs on board needed to be replaced.
EnQuest reported gross production of around 26,000 boepd from the vessel through 2022.
The operator said in May the early part of the year had seen “top quartile performance” at the vessel, with production efficiency and water injection efficiency both at around 94% as of the end of April.
Meanwhile further planned drilling at the field has been shelved, with EnQuest blaming the government’s windfall tax for its decision to cut spending.
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