The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Key milestone hit on Buzzard oilfield
CNOOC has hit a key milestone ahead of first production from phase 2 of the huge Buzzard oilfield in the North Sea.
A 516-tonne module has been added to the installation with support from contractor Worley and Allseas, using the world’s largest construction vessel, the Pioneering Spirit.
The project is now on track for first production in the fourth quarter of the year, extending the life of one of the largest-producing fields in the UK.
Sanctioned in 2017, Buzzard phase 2 is designed to add up to another 10 years of life to the field, estimated at the time to cost in excess of £500 million.
Around 150 people from Worley’s onshore, offshore and fabrication teams have been involved.
After being constructed at the firm’s Rosenberg yard in Stavanger, Norway, the module was successfully installed on the platform last week using the Allseas Pioneering Spirit heavy lift vessel.
In August, CNOOC, formerly Nexen, confirmed that first oil from Buzzard Phase 2 had been pushed back from the second half of 2020 to 2021.
The Chinese firm said a number of issues played a factor in the decision, including the impact of Covid on safety onshore and offshore, as well as postponement of the Forties Pipeline System shutdown, to which key project activity had been aligned.
Buzzard Phase 2 is a bid to go after additional reserves to the north of the main field with a subsea development tied-back to it, with peak production of 37,000 boepd.
Worley has put in 1.1 million workhours to date on the project and will now deliver the remaining hook up and commissioning to integrate the new module on the platform’s south-west corner.
The Australiaheadquartered engineering giant was awarded the contract for engineering, procurement and construction of the module in 2018.
Daniel McAteer, vice president, Aberdeen operations, at Worley, said: “The load out and installation of the BPII module marks a symbolic milestone for the BPII Alliance.
“It represents unity and defines that supply chain collaboration is paving the way for the future of our industry.
“We’ve achieved so much already. And we’re looking forward to completing the next stage of the project later this year.”
Buzzard, which lies 62 miles north-east of Aberdeen, was the largest discovery in UK waters for 20 years when it was found in 2001.
It went on to become the largest producing field in the UK after starting up in 2007, and was recently surpassed by Total’s Culzean gas field.
The field is 43.2% owned and operated by CNOOC. Its partners are Suncor Energy (29.89%), Chrysaor (21.73%), Dyas (4.7%) and Oranje-Nassau Energie (0.46%).