White Rose

Location and Field Details

The White Rose oil field and its satellite extensions are situated in the Jeanne d'Arc Basin, approximately 350 kilometers east of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The water depth in the area is about 120 meters.

The main White Rose field began production in November 2005 and has produced 261 million barrels of oil and 387,181 million metric standard cubic feet (Mmscf) of gas as of April 2022.
The field is operated by Cenovus Energy, which acquired the previous operator Husky Energy in January 2021. Cenovus holds a 60% interest, Suncor holds 40%, and there have been adjustments in ownership stakes over time.

The White Rose expansion project involves the development of three satellite fields: North Amethyst, South White Rose Extension (SWRX), and West White Rose. These fields are being developed as subsea tie-backs to the existing SeaRose FPSO.

The North Amethyst field was the first satellite expansion, approved in 2008 and commencing production in May 2010. Additional wells were brought online in 2016 and 2017.

The SWRX project was approved in June 2013, with production starting in June 2015. A second production well was added in the fourth quarter of 2016.

Development Status: As of May 2022, the West White Rose project was approximately 65% complete. It was halted in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic but was restarted in May 2022. The project is now about 80% complete and is expected to produce its first oil in the first half of 2026.
Ownership: The project is operated by Cenovus Energy, with Suncor holding a 38.6% stake, Cenovus holding 56.375%, and Nalcor Energy holding 5%.
Infrastructure: The field development includes a fixed drilling platform supported by a concrete gravity structure (CGS) and integrated topsides. The CGS, built by the SNC-Lavalin-Dragados-Pennecon General Partnership (SDP), weighs 210,000 tonnes and has a base diameter of 122 meters and an overall height of 145 meters. The topsides, fabricated by Kiewit, include living quarters, facilities services block, flare boom, helideck, and drilling facilities. The platform will be tied back to the SeaRose FPSO using subsea infrastructure.

The West White Rose field is estimated to contain approximately 115 million barrels of oil and is expected to increase the production life of the White Rose project by 14 years. It is anticipated to achieve a peak output of up to 80,000 barrels per day (bpd) by the end of 2029.

The SeaRose FPSO, which serves the main White Rose field and its satellite fields, has an oil storage capacity of 940,000 barrels and a production capacity of 137,000 bpd. The FPSO is connected to the drill centers via flexible flowlines and risers and is designed to disconnect and move in the event of an emergency. The SeaRose FPSO underwent a drydock program in 2024 to prepare for the integration of the West White Rose field.

The project faced significant delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with major construction work suspended in March 2020. The project was placed under review and later restarted in May 2022 after an agreement with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador on an amended royalty structure.
An oil spill incident in November 2018 at the South White Rose Extension Drill Centre led to the suspension of operations. The spill was caused by a failed subsea flowline connection, which was later replaced.

As of August 2024, the West White Rose project is approximately 80% complete and progressing on schedule. The concrete gravity structure is nearing its final height, and the topsides are structurally completed. The SeaRose FPSO is undergoing maintenance and is expected to return to the field in late September 2024.