BP: Arundel field begins production
BP has started oil production from the Arundel field, one of two North Sea fields sanctioned in 2016.
Located 15 kilometres north of the Andrew platform in the central North Sea, the Arundel field was discovered in 2000, with further appraisal wells drilled in 2008 and 2009. It is expected to contain around five million barrels of oil recoverable.
BP said that the field was safely brought online 18 months after sanction and was producing around 9,000 barrels of oil a day through the Andrew platform.
The Arundel project was sanctioned in April 2016, and the field development plan was approved in July 2016. The field was brought online on the 17th September and, according to BP, the well is performing better than expected, with the potential to increase the production rate in the coming weeks.
The company added that the Arundel reservoir was challenging to access due to a very thin oil column and variable reservoir sand presence. BP selected a single horizontal well was selected as the best development strategy with a subsea tie-in via the Kinnoull pipeline, which was routed over the Arundel field during the Andrew Area Development project to facilitate future development.
Regional president Mark Thomas said: “Arundel is a great example of a field which could have easily been stranded but which we managed to maximise the economic recovery of through innovative working. I’m extremely proud of what has been achieved here.”
The project also involved a commercial first for BP North Sea, with different equity groups – Kinnoull and Arundel – sharing a subsea flowline and agreeing a technical back out formula in the agreements to optimise production from both fields.
Brenda Wylie, the Oil and Gas Authority’s West of Shetland and Northern North Sea Area manager, said: “The successful first oil milestone from the Arundel Field is testament to BP’s determination and innovation in overcoming the technical hurdles to developing this field and is very positive news.
“It has unlocked the economic recovery of a smaller development with demonstration of good commercial and collaborative behaviours which are crucial to achieving MER UK. The OGA welcome projects such as this, delivered under new commercial models between operator and key service providers.”