ConocoPhillips 'Stalled' at Eldfisk
Friday 21 October 2016
ConocoPhillips has reportedly gained an extension of a deadline to deliver a plan for further development of its Eldfisk field off Norway after running into drilling challenges.
The US operator has a plan to drill six long-reach wells into the Bravo structure in the northern part of the field but has so far drilled only two and is experiencing technical difficulties with the third probe due to reservoir challenges, Norwegian news site Offshore.no reported.
ConocoPhillips applied therefore to the authorities to postpone an end-2016 deadline to submit the development plan, stating in its application “the delay to the drilling plan, understanding of resources and uncertainty related to the reserves base” meant it was unable to “make a rational assessment” on exploitation of Bravo within the existing timeframe.
The Petroleum & Energy Ministry has now given its consent to extend the deadline by two years to 31 December 2018, according to a document obtained by the publication.
ConocoPhillips stated in its application to the ministry it is now looking at lower-cost development solutions - such as unmanned wellhead platforms and subsea production - to tap satellite finds in the Greater Ekofisk Area, including Eldfisk, in the North Sea.
“These concepts will be matured in the course of 2016 and 2017, and learnings gained from similar development concepts on the Norwegian continental shelf will be worked into the project,” it said.
The company had previously determined development of resources in the northern part of Eldfisk was not economically viable, having brought on stream a second platform at the field in January 2015 aimed at boosting production by 60,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2017.
ConocoPhillips gained approval last December from the Petroleum Safety Authority to extend the life of three facilities - Eldfisk 2/7-A, 2/7-B and 2/7-FTP – and associated subsea pipelines at the Eldfisk field to the end of 2028.
The consent is in line with the operator’s plan for future development of Eldfisk - brought on stream in 1979 - as part of an effort to extend the lifetime of Greater Ekofisk by another 40 years.