Tambar

Location and Geology

• The Tambar oil field is located in the southern part of the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, approximately 16 kilometers southeast of the Ula field.
• The field is situated in shallow water with a depth of about 70 meters.
• The reservoir is composed of Upper Jurassic shallow marine sandstone in the Ula Formation, at a depth of 4100-4200 meters. The reservoir quality is generally very good.

Discovery and Development

• The Tambar field was discovered in 1983.
• The plan for development and operation (PDO) was approved in 2000. The field was developed with a remotely controlled wellhead platform tied back to the Ula field.
• Production from the Tambar field started in 2001.

Production and Recovery Strategy

• The field is produced using pressure depletion, combined with natural gas expansion and aquifer support. Gas lift is employed to enhance production performance.
• The oil is transported by pipeline to the Ula field for processing. After processing, the oil is exported via the Ekofisk field to Teesside in the UK, while the gas is injected into the Ula reservoir to improve oil recovery.

Current Status and Re-development

• The production from the Tambar field has been declining due to decreased reservoir pressure and increasing water cut.
• To extend the production period, Aker BP and Faroe have approved a re-development project. This project involves drilling two additional wells and implementing gas lift. The drilling is scheduled to start in Q4, using the Maersk Interceptor rig. The project aims to test the oil-water contact in the northern part of the Tambar field, which will help in better understanding the reservoir.
• The re-development project is expected to add gross reserves of 27 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe), with Aker BP’s share being 15 million boe. This is anticipated to increase production by 4,000 to 6,000 new barrels per day over several years. The project has a breakeven point under USD 20 per barrel.

Infrastructure and Modifications

• The re-development includes modifications to both the Tambar platform and the Ula production platform. These modifications involve piping and equipment for the measurement and transport of lift gas, upgrading support systems on Tambar, connecting flowlines for the new wells, and installing a conductor guide structure under the platform. The UGIP pipeline will be modified to terminate at the Tambar platform.

Investment and Timeline

• The re-development project is expected to involve an investment of around 1.7 billion Norwegian kroner. Production from the new wells is scheduled to start in the first half of 2018, depending on the arrival of the drilling rig.

Operational Overview

• The project team consists of personnel from various functions and disciplines within the organization, requiring close integration of activities due to the tight schedule.
• Construction personnel will stay on the drilling rig used to drill the infill wells on the Tambar field during the implementation phase.