The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Gas field hookup contract to create 200 jobs
North Sea: Wood Group to begin work on commissioning of Maersk’s Culzean field
Energy services giant Wood Group is creating 200 new jobs to support the commissioning of the strategically important Culzean gas condensate field in the North Sea.
The field, situated 260 kilometres off Aberdeen, is the largest of its kind sanctioned in more than a quarter of a century and has reserves estimated at up to 300 million barrels of oil equivalent.
North east-based Wood Group has been brought in to help in the hook-up stage of the field construction, ahead of planned first production in 2019.
The contract includes providing mechanical and management services for commissioning of Culzean.
The field development involves the installation of three bridge-linked platforms and six production wells drilled into two high-pressure, high- temperature reservoirs – Pentland and Joanne – located on top of one another.
Wood Group said the contract would create approximately 200 jobs at its height.
Dave Stewart, chief executive of Wood Group’s Asset Life Cycle Solutions business in the Eastern region, said the firm was delighted to win work at Culzean.
“Maersk’s decision to award us this new contract to support them in this significant North Sea development reflects their confidence and assurance in our ability to deliver our broad technical solutions safely, efficiently and effectively,” Mr Stewart said.
“We will bring our strong, global experience and expertise in the execution of hook-ups to the project, where our focus will be working in close collaboration with Maersk towards its successful delivery.”
Discovered in 2008 by Maersk Oil and its co-venturers, Culzean’s development involves direct investment of approximately US $4.5 billion, with around half of that figure being spent within the UK supply chain.
The first production well for the field – which Maersk expects to produce for at least 13 years – was drilled by the Maersk Highlander last autumn.
The company expects production to peak at between 60,000 and 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
Wood Group’s announcement is the latest positive development for the North Sea after Statoil last week confirmed 1,500 new roles at its flagship Mariner field.