Murlach

Murlach Oil Field Development Profile

Location and Field Details

• The Murlach oil field is located in the Central North Sea, UK, within Block 22/24h of the United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS). It is approximately 203 km east of the Aberdeenshire coastline in Scotland and about 27 km from the UK/Norway median line.
• The field is situated at water depths ranging from 93 to 95 meters.

History and Previous Operations

• The Murlach field was originally known as the Skua field and was discovered in 1986. It was previously operated by Shell from 2001 until its decommissioning in late 2004.

Current Project Details

• The Murlach field redevelopment project is being undertaken by BP Exploration Operating Company (BPEOC), a subsidiary of BP, which holds an 80% stake. The remaining 20% interest is held by NEO Energy Central North Sea, which acquired its stake through the acquisition of Zennor Petroleum in July 2021.

Development Plan

• The project involves a two-production well subsea tie-back development to the Eastern Trough Area Project (ETAP) central processing facility.
• Key components of the project include:
  • Drilling of two production wells.
  • Installation of a new subsea manifold.
  • Installation of a 7 km gas lift flowline from the ETAP platform to the Murlach manifold.
  • Tie-ins to the repurposed Heron A production flowline and the Heron to Seagull wash water flowline system.
  • A 500m umbilical connecting the existing Seagull umbilical to the Murlach manifold.
  • Installation of subsea equipment including Xmas trees, production spools, gas lift spools, and wash water spools.

Infrastructure and Processing

• The Murlach field will be tied back to the ETAP platform, which commenced operations in July 1998 and is expected to remain in production through the 2030s. The ETAP platform is located on the Marnock field in Block 22/24a and consists of a production drilling riser platform and a quarters and utilities platform connected by a bridge.
• The ETAP processing facility will handle the production fluids from the Murlach field, including oil separation, gas compression and dehydration, and water processing and injection. The facility operates with a 100% produced water reinjection system, ensuring zero discharge of produced water into the sea.

Environmental and Regulatory Aspects

• The project's environmental statement was submitted to the UK authorities in April 2022. The project has received approval from the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment & Decommissioning and the North Sea Transition Authority.
• The project is subject to an environmental impact assessment procedure, and consent must be obtained from the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy prior to the grant of consent by the North Sea Transition Authority.

Timeline

• Drilling of the wells and installation of subsea facilities are scheduled to commence in 2024.
• Topside modifications at the ETAP platform are planned from Q3 2023 to Q4 2024.
• Commissioning and start-up are expected in Q1 2025, with the first oil production anticipated in June 2025.

Reserves and Production

• The Murlach field is estimated to contain approximately 25.9 million barrels of oil and 602 million cubic meters of gas. The resources will be extracted from a Triassic Skagerrak reservoir.
• The field's operational lifespan is estimated to be around 11 years.

Contractors and Partners

• Technip Energies subsidiary Genesis Oil and Gas was awarded a contract for the concept development study for the Murlach field redevelopment project in December 2018.

This redevelopment project aligns with the UK Government’s objective of maximizing the economic recovery of UK petroleum and supports the increased longevity of the ETAP platform and associated fields.