Hurricane chooses subsea provider for Lancaster

Hurricane Energy plc, a UK-based oil and gas company, has provisionally selected Technip and FMC Technologies, under their alliance, as its exclusive provider of subsea solutions for the Lancaster Early Production System (EPS) and for subsequent development of the Greater Lancaster Area in the North Sea. 

The field, located West of Shetland, is expected to be developed using a floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO).

According to Hurricane’s press release on Wednesday, Technip and FMC Technologies, under their alliance, have developed with Hurricane, an ‘innovative approach’ to enhance the economics of the proposed development. A key to this approach is focusing on system design optimization and risk reduction in project execution.

The parties are currently undertaking front end engineering studies, in order to meet Hurricane’s stated sanction date of the end of H1 2017. Namely, Hurricane said in September it would continue to work with FPSO and subsea production facility providers to refine the development in order to meet FID during H1 2017.

Dr Robert Trice, Hurricane’s CEO, commented: “I am delighted that we have been able to select such world-class service companies as Technip as our SURF provider and FMC Technologies for our SPS provider. Their combined solution is ideally suited to the development of Lancaster and the Greater Lancaster Area.

“Hurricane, Technip and FMC Technologies have worked collaboratively to develop the Lancaster EPS as a fit for purpose concept. This has allowed us to reduce the scope and the cost of the development, and ensure full alignment amongst those driving the project forward.

“We believe that the alliance’s innovative proposal is an endorsement of the significant potential of Hurricane’s fractured basement portfolio West of Shetland. Our collaboration with them is a very important milestone as we look over time to develop the Greater Lancaster Area’s full potential, whose full extent we believe is yet to be defined. The initial results from our recent Pilot Well has increased our internal base case resources on Lancaster to in excess of 300 million barrels. Furthermore, it is clear that such collaboration will be pivotal in developing the remaining recoverable reserves not just at Lancaster but on the UK continental shelf as a whole.”

To remind, Hurricane recently completed drilling of the pilot well at its Lancaster field, confirming oil presence. The well was drilled with the Transocean Spitsbergen drilling rig. It was the first in a two-well program designed to refine the Lancaster resource range, provide a second future production well, and provide new information to help optimally plan the Lancaster field development.

Knut Boe, President, North Sea Canada, Technip said: “Both Technip and FMC Technologies, through the alliance, are delighted to be selected as Hurricane’s exclusive SURF / SPS providers and look forward to facilitating the EPS and Greater Lancaster Area development.”