Maersk Oil has said that its $4.5bn North Sea Culzean gas field development is on target to produce first gas on schedule in 2019, having reached a key milestone with the safe installation of all three of the project’s jackets, on time and on budget. 

The high pressure, high temperature (HPHT) field will produce 60,000-90,000 barrels of oil equivalent/day at plateau, be capable in 2020/21 of meeting 5% of UK gas demand, and is expected to produce for at least 13 years.

“Culzean was sanctioned less than two years ago and already we’ve progressed the project over the halfway mark. We’re continuing to hit our milestones on time and this progress means we’re on track to deliver first gas in 2019,” said Maersk Oil CEO Gretchen Watkins July 21 on a visit offshore to the development.  All three jackets were built and installed by Dutch contractor Heerema. Installation of the field's central processing facilities (CPF) and the utilities and living quarters (ULQ) jackets was completed July 20, while the wellhead platform (WHP) jacket was installed last year.

The three topsides are scheduled to be installed next year, with three production wells due to be hooked up to the production ship in 2019. 

Martin Urquhart, project director for Culzean, 145 miles offshore east of Aberdeen, said that the focus now switches to finalising the construction of the three topsides and the FSO [production] vessel Ailsa.

Maersk Oil is operator with 49.99%; partners are BP with 32% and Japan's JX Nippon 18.01%. Gas will be landed via the CATS pipeline at Teesside. 

All three jackets are now all installed at the UK Culzean gas development (Photo credit: Maersk Oil)

 

Mark Smedley