Oil exploration and production company Neptune Energy, alongside its joint venture (JV) partners BP and JAPEX, has started subsea construction on the Seagull tie-back project in the Central North Sea.
The Seagull project is located in the UK licence P1622 Block 22/29C, 17km south of the BP-operated ETAP central processing facility. It is a high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) development.
By partly utilising the existing subsea infrastructure, the Seagull development will be tied back to the ETAP central processing facility.
Neptune Energy is the operator of the project and owns a 35% stake in it. Other partners include BP (50%) and JAPEX (15%).
Neptune Energy UK managing director Alexandra Thomas said: “Seagull is an important project for Neptune, its partners and the UK. It is expected to produce 50,000 boe/d (gross) and supports UK security of supply.
“This is a key milestone for Seagull – the first step in offshore execution of the project. We continue to work with our contractors and suppliers, focussing on the safe deployment of people, vessels, and equipment and managing the challenges associated with the impacts of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.”
Oil and gas services firm TechnipFMC has installed the Apache II pipelay vessel to begin the ‘pipe-in-pipe’ installation.
The oil and gas services firm laid about some five kilometres of pipe connecting the Egret manifold to the Seagull development.
TechnipFMC Commercial & Projects UK, Mediterranean & Caspian vice-president Bill Morrice said: “Despite the challenging backdrop of Covid-19, we have worked collaboratively with Neptune as one team to deliver our scopes to date both safely and efficiently.
“This comes as a result of the valuable contribution from our design, engineering, HSEQ, procurement and fabrication teams and we look forward to continuing our working relationship with Neptune to achieve first oil at the Seagull development.”
Recently, NPD issued a drilling permit to Neptune Energy for well 6406/12-G-1 H in the Norwegian Sea.
In July 2019, TechnipFMC won an engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) target cost contract from Neptune and partners for the Seagull development oil project.
