Page 13 - EurOil Week 04 2022

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well encountered the Krossfjord Formation critical enabler for continued exploration and also been proactively engineering several
with water-bearing sandstone rocks at development in this part of the North Sea.” options to resume safe drilling operations
about 33 meters, with poor to moderate Borthne added: “This year we expect to at Southwark. The timeline is expected to
reservoir quality. Water-bearing sandstone bring on stream a fourth tie-in field to the become clearer once we have analysed newly
rocks were also encountered at about 33 Gjøa facilities - Wintershall Dea’s Nova field. acquired seabed survey data this week.”
meters with poor to moderate reservoir In addition, we plan to drill two exploration The firm also confirmed that the rig was
quality, of unknown age, deeper in the wells in the area and continue to mature moved on 15 January to a safe location in the
well. other nearby discoveries and exploration Elgood 500m zone, where routine inspections
The Krossfjord Formation has traces of opportunities as tie-in candidates. We have are underway with initial indications showing
petroleum, but the well has been classified high expectations that the Gjøa hub will be in the rig remains fully serviceable.
as dry. operation to 2040 and continue to create value Meanwhile, the data from a new
This is the second exploration well in this area of the North Sea for many years to Southwark seabed survey is now being
in production licence 885, which was come.” analysed to inform relocation and remediation
awarded in APA 2016. The well was drilled Neptune also said that, with the platform options. IOG also informed that the optimal
to a vertical depth of 3224 meters below being electrified with hydropower from shore, plan would potentially enable the rig to safely
sea level and was terminated in basement carbon emissions from the Gjøa platform resume Southwark drilling in the next four to
rock. The water depth at the site is 211 are 3kg CO2/boe, which, per the company, is six weeks, with scour protection applied after
meters. less than half the average on the Norwegian arrival.
The well will be permanently Continental Shelf. The company explained in its latest
plugged and abandoned. The Borgland update that this remains subject to further
Dolphin drilling rig will now proceed investigation and an alternative plan may
to Fedafjorden, a fjord in Agder county, IOG awaits survey data for be required with the next steps and timing
Norway. likely to be clearer once survey data analysis is
clarity on next steps for completed this week.
The IOG-operated Saturn Banks Project
Neptune reports boost in delayed North Sea well – Phase 1 – sanctioned in October 2019 –
consists of Blythe, Elgood, and Southwark
flow at Gjoa UK company IOG plc is considering potential fields in the UK Southern North Sea. IOG
holds 50 per cent and its partner CalEnergy
solutions that will allow it to resume drilling
Oil and gas company Neptune Energy said on operations on the Southwark field in the UK Resources holds the other 50 per cent interest
January 26 that output from its Gjøa platform North Sea with a timeline expected to be in this project.
offshore Norway had increased by two million set following a proper analysis of the seabed
barrels of oil equivalents (boe) from 2020 to survey.
2021. After a two-month hiatus caused by an Petrofac gets extra five
Gross production over the Gjøa platform issue, which was found on one of the legs
ended on 42 million boe in 2021, compared of the Noble Corporation-owned Noble years at NEO assets
with 40 million boe in 2020. Of this, 76% Hans Deul jack-up rig in October 2021, and
of the production was gas, all of which is following subsequent technical issues with Energy services provider Petrofac has
exported through the FLAGS pipeline to the an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle secured a five-year contract extension for well
St. Fergus Gas Terminal in the UK. (ROV) in December 2021, drilling operations management and well operator services with
The increased production from the North started at the Southwark field in late NEO Energy.
Sea floater was due mainly to production December, resulting in the spudding of the Petrofac will provide a five-year framework
start-up from the Gjøa P1 infill development first development well on 30 December 2021. for well management and well operator
in February and the Duva field tie-back in However, about 10 days into January, support for 27 wells across the Affleck,
August. IOG reported further problems with drilling Balloch, Dumbarton, Lochranza, and
In addition, Neptune said, production operations due to challenges with seabed Finlaggan fields located in the Central North
from the tie-back field Vega, operated by conditions, which threatened to compromise Sea, UK. The contract also positions Petrofac
Wintershall Dea, and the Gjøa field itself, has rig stability. to support future well construction and
been better than expected. Estimated reserves As a result, the Noble Hans Deul rig was intervention campaigns, the services provider
on the Gjøa field have increased by 38% since obliged to suspend drilling operations at informed on January 25.
the Plan for Development and Production was Southwark as seabed conditions were causing Today’s contract announcement builds
approved in 2007. excessive movement relative to the platform. on Petrofac’s previously awarded integrated
Neptune Energy’s Head of Operations in IOG informed on Tuesday that it has services contract for NEO Energy. The
Norway, Martin Borthne, said: “Our ambition been working constructively together with contract, which began in 2020 and was
to develop the Gjøa platform into a host its drilling contractors – assisted by technical extended early in 2021, involves the provision
facility and a hub for nearby discoveries has experts experienced in similar situations – of ongoing operational, maintenance,
succeeded. This has not only prolonged the to urgently investigate a range of potential engineering, and construction support for the
life of the Gjøa platform itself, but has resulted solutions. operator’s UK activities while retaining direct
in far higher value creation than expected at Andrew Hockey, CEO of IOG, procurement and managing sub-contracted
start-up. Successful utilization of the Gjøa commented: “Working with our drilling services.
infrastructure as a hub is further seen as a contractors and expert consultants, we have

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