Dutch Tulip Picks Heerema for Q10 Field

Dutch firm Heerema Fabrication Group (HFG) said January 23 it will provide Dutch independent Tulip Oil with an unmanned offshore platform for its the Q10-A gas field development. First gas is due 2019.

HFG CEO Koos-Jan van Brouwershaven said: "We will perform the full-platform Feed (front end engineering and design) and EPCI (engineering, procurement, construction and installation) contract in one continuous program, rather than the traditional multi-stage approach. This enables a fast-track delivery program, resulting in lower execution risk."

The topside of the Q10-A platform will have a weight of some 500 metric tons. The jacket will have a weight of around 600 mt and will stand in 21 metres of water. The Q10-A platform will be installed late 2018. The Q10 gas field is 20 km offshore the Netherlands in a shallow water environment, said HFC, adding that the Q10-A platform will be tied back to the (Taqa-operated) P15d platform.

Tulip Oil did not say what the production volume would be or the cost of the contract but when it announced its final investment decision on January 16 it described the field as "expected to become a major offshore producing asset in the Netherlands." It said the pipeline scope has been awarded to Allseas, and that drilling of the development wells will be done using a Paragon rig. First gas is expected next year.

Tulip Oil is a privately-held exploration and production operator based in The Hague, operates assets in both the Netherlands and in Germany and is owned by management and funds advised by GNRI, which was formed by a management buyout of the former Barclays Natural Resource Investment business. Q10, previously known as Q07A, was discovered in 2015. Tulip Oil, which was awarded a production license July 24 last year by the Dutch economy ministry, has a 60% interest in the block and is operator. Dutch state holding EBN holds the other 40%.