Update on UKCS Field Development Projects - Intsok

Field Cygnus
Area Southern North Sea
Operator GDF Suez
Development concept Platform(s)
Transport concept Pipeline to McAdam?
Start-up Q4 2011?
Comments: GDF Suez, which had expected to receive DECC approval for the first phase of
development of the Cygnus gas field in May, has revised its plans. It will now develop the field
in two phases, of which the first phase will cover the development of the whole eastern area
and the second phase the western area. Full details will be released when the revised plans
have been completed. It is unclear whether start-up will still take place in late 2011. A final
decision on the export route is also outstanding – the proposal in the environmental statement
was to tie the field back to Murdoch via the McAdam subsea template by a 27km, 12in pipeline
with a 3in chemical supply line piggybacked on it. But Perenco’s Tyne platform 20 km to the
south-east represents a alternative route. Fabrication bids for the first unmanned wellhead
platform under the previous scheme were delivered in Feb. Pipelay and platform installation
have yet to be tendered. Development drilling will be carried out by jackup Ensco 100, which is
currently drilling two appraisal wells in the west of the field. In Apr GDF announced that the first
well had tested 28 MMcf/d of gas from an undrilled block. Reserves in eastern Cygnus are
estimated at more than 500 bcf. According to partner Endeavour, reserves for the whole field
may be as high as 2 tcf. FEED for the previous scheme was performed by Genesis. Wells
require pressure-fracturing. Overall reserves may be as high as 1.3tcf.
Field
Darwin
Area Northern North Sea
Operator Fairfield
Development concept Subsea
Transport concept 28km pipeline to Dunlin A?
Start-up 2013?
Comments: Fairfield has entered into an agreement to acquire Darwin, formerly Hutton North-
West, from the current owners. It plans to appraise it and then bring it back on stream; the
base-case is a subsea development tied back to its own Dunlin platform. Conceptual options
are still under study, it said in Mar. Sanction will probably not come until H2 2011, so start-up
looks unlikely before 2013. According to current operator BP, some 80m bbl of oil and 250 bcf
of gas would become available if the recovery factor could be raised to 45% from the 26%
achieved so far from the field, where the original production facilities are being
decommissioned. In a second phase Fairfield plans to explore and produce prospects on
adjacent acreage it gained in the 25 th round; two appraisal wells are due to be drilled here next
year.
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