Hurricane asks for Lancaster field production system nod

UK-based oil company Hurricane Energy has submitted an environmental statement for the Lancaster field early production system (EPS), located west of Shetland, to the UK authorities. 

The Hurricane-operated Lancaster field is located approximately 100 km west and 105 km north of the closest Shetland and Orkney Islands, respectively, and 170 km north of the Scottish mainland.

Hurricane proposed to begin production from its Lancaster field via an EPS, with expectations to achieve first oil by mid-2019.

The environmental statement presents the findings of the environmental impact assessment (EIA), which has been undertaken for the first phase of the Lancaster development using an EPS. The EIA is a tool designed to ensure potential environmental issues and concerns are identified and addressed throughout the planning process.

This document has been submitted to the UK’s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) for formal review and is also open for public review and comment. The public consultation period is now open for 28 days until April 13, 2017.

The initial development of the field will comprise two wells on the seabed producing oil via a flexible production flowline to a floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit. Oil will be routed to the flowlines through a production manifold near the wells.

Three main stages of the development include completion of suspended wells to allow them to produce oil using a drilling rig; installation of production flowlines, manifolds and the FPSO mooring system; and commissioning and ongoing production of oil via the FPSO.

The Bluewater-owned FPSO Aoka Mizu was selected in November 2016 to be used as the production system for the Lancaster field. Following the signing, Hurricane and Bluewater started a second phase FEED study, expected to be completed in early 2Q 2017. The unit will be held on location by a turret mooring system. Produced oil will be stored on the FPSO and exported to Shetland via a shuttle tanker.

Lancaster timeline

Hurricane plans to start the re-entry and completion of the wells in spring 2018. Installation of both the subsea infrastructure and the FPSO mooring system is then expected to be completed in the second and the third quarters of 2018, prior to the arrival of the FPSO to the field.

Installation, hook-up and commissioning of the FPSO is expected to start towards the latter part of this construction period. The first oil is targeted for the middle of 2019, although it is possible it could begin as early as the end of 2018, the operator said.

The first phase of the development is planned for a period of six years.

In the assessment, it is ultimately concluded that the Hurricane’s Lancaster EPS development will not have any significant impacts to the environment.

Offshore Energy Today Staff