Harding Redevelopment

Harding Redevelopment Oil and Gas Field Profile

Location

The Harding Redevelopment Oil and Gas Field is located offshore in the United Kingdom, specifically within Block 9/23b, approximately 320 kilometers northeast of Aberdeen, on the western flank of the Crawford Ridge. The exact coordinates are 59.2893, 1.5325 (WGS 84).

Discovery and Production History

The Harding oil field was discovered in 1987 by Britoil, which is now owned by BP. Oil production began in 1996 and peaked in 1999. Over its lifetime, the field has produced 286.8 million barrels of oil and 129 billion cubic feet (22.2 million barrels of oil equivalent) of gas.

Field Composition

The Harding field is composed of five separate reservoirs, including the central field and four smaller fields located to the north, north-east, south, and south-east.

Ownership and Operator

The field is currently operated by TAQA Bratani Limited. The ownership is divided between TAQA (70%) and TotalEnergies (30%). TotalEnergies acquired its stake in 2018 after purchasing Maersk's North Sea assets.

Current Status and Development Plans

The Harding Redevelopment project is currently in the development phase. After BP's initial plans for the Harding Area Gas Project were abandoned in 2006 due to high development costs and low gas prices, TAQA took over the field in 2013. In 2017, TAQA and Maersk funded concept studies for exploiting the remaining gas reserves. In 2019, TAQA submitted environmental documents to regulators for a potential new project, although no final investment decision (FID) or start date has been announced. The project aims to produce gas once the remaining recoverable oil has been extracted from the area.

Reserves

As of 2022, the remaining economically recoverable volumes of hydrocarbons at the Harding Redevelopment field are estimated to be 58 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe).

Environmental and Regulatory Considerations

TAQA has submitted an environmental statement for the proposed project, but the document was not made publicly available. The redevelopment process involves interaction with regulatory bodies to ensure compliance with environmental and other regulatory requirements.

Future Plans and Potential Sale

In December 2021, TAQA expressed intentions to sell its North Sea assets, including the Harding oil field and the potential gas blowdown project. This sale would include the Harding field and other Quadrant 9 Area fields operated by TAQA.