Horst

Location

The Buchan Horst oil field is situated in the Outer Moray Firth, within the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) Blocks 20/05a and 21/01a. It is approximately 115km northeast of the Aberdeenshire coast and 103.5km west of the UK/Norway median line.

Ownership and Partners

The field is currently under the ownership of Jersey Oil and Gas and Neo Energy Group. In December 2023, Serica Energy agreed to purchase a 30% non-operated stake in the Buchan Horst Field from Jersey Oil & Gas, with the farm-out completed in February 2024.

History

The Buchan oil field was originally discovered in 1974 by the well 21/1-1, drilled by Transworld Petroleum and Texaco. The field was brought into production by BP in 1981 using the Buchan Alpha floating production vessel. Over the years, the field changed hands, with Talisman Energy taking over in 1996, followed by Repsol’s acquisition of Talisman in 2015. Production was halted in May 2017 due to the Buchan Alpha vessel reaching its certification limits. Jersey Oil and Gas secured the blocks in August 2019, and NEO Energy obtained a 50% working interest and became the licence operator in July 2023.

Redevelopment Plan

The redevelopment of the Buchan Horst field involves several key components:

• Wells: The plan includes drilling and completing five production wells and two water injection wells.
• Subsea Systems: Establishment of subsea systems, including production, water injection, and gas lift pipelines, as well as an umbilical to connect the wells to the retrofitted Western Isles FPSO.
• FPSO: The Western Isles FPSO will be retrofitted to manage production operations. The FPSO will be positioned approximately 1.5km away from the drilling centers to optimize well tie-backs. It will include marine systems, cargo handling, and storage capabilities, along with processing equipment, utilities, and living quarters.
• Gas Export: The gas export pipeline will be a six-inch diameter, carbon steel pipeline tied back either to the SAGE (Scottish Area Gas Evacuation) system or the FUKA (Frigg UK Association) pipeline system.

Production Expectations

The redevelopment project is expected to produce 70 million barrels of oil equivalent (mboe) with a peak production rate of approximately 35,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. The first oil from the project is anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Investment and Timeline

The redevelopment is estimated to require an investment of up to £950m ($1.2bn). The field development plan (FDP) is poised for approval in 2024, with offshore operations slated to begin in the second quarter of 2025.

Contractors Involved

Several contractors are involved in the project:

• Apollo and Sevan SSP: Front-end engineering design (FEED) for the FPSO.
• Petrofac and Proserv: Well operations.
• Technip FMC: Subsea operations.

This comprehensive redevelopment aims to revitalize the Buchan Horst oil field, leveraging advanced technologies and infrastructure to maximize oil recovery from this significant North Sea asset.