Vorlich

Vorlich Oil Field Development Profile

Location

The Vorlich oil field is located in the central North Sea, approximately 241 kilometers east of Aberdeen, UK. It is part of the Greater Stella Area (GSA).

Ownership

The Vorlich oil field is owned by BP (66%) and Ithaca Energy (34%).

Discovery and Reservoir Details

The Vorlich field was discovered and appraised in 2014. The hydrocarbons are located in the Palaeocene sandstone reservoir in Block 30/1c, with a side track into Block 30/1f leading to the discovery of the field’s western extension. The majority (80%-90%) of the Vorlich discovery is situated within the P363 licence, while the remaining area lies in the P1588 licence.

Development Details

• Approval and Timeline: BP received approval from the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) to develop the Vorlich field in September 2018. The field began production in November 2020.
• Infrastructure: The field is developed through two production wells tied back to the Ithaca Energy-operated FPF-1 floating production facility via a 10-kilometer subsea tieback. This approach leverages existing infrastructure within the Greater Stella Area production hub.
• Production: The project targets 30 million barrels of oil equivalent and is expected to produce 20,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day at peak production.

Investment and Contractors

• Capital Investment: The development of the Vorlich field involved a capital investment of £200 million or approximately £230 million as per some sources.
• Contractors: WorleyParsons was awarded a front-end engineering design (FEED) contract for the subsea tieback from the Vorlich field to the FPF-1 facility in March 2018.

Environmental and Regulatory

• Environmental Statement: BP submitted an environmental statement for the Vorlich oilfield development to the UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in March 2018.
• Regulatory Approval: The project received approval from the OGA, aligning with the UK’s Maximising Economic Recovery (MER UK) priority.

Project Benefits

• Economic Contribution: The development of the Vorlich field contributes to the UK’s hydrocarbon production, utilizing existing infrastructure to maximize economic recovery.
• Operational Efficiency: The project is part of BP’s strategy to simplify processes, reduce costs, and improve project cycle time, enhancing the competitiveness of its North Sea business.

Technical Details

• Subsea Tieback: The two wells are connected to the FPF-1 floating production facility via subsea pipelines, facilitating efficient production and minimizing new infrastructure needs.