Drilling to further grow the resources around the Njord field in the Norwegian Sea has started, with more expected this year, helping firm up plans for the greater Njord area, according to partner Faroe Petroleum.

Concept selection for the future development of the Njord field is schedule for mid-2016, around the time the current production facility, Njord A, will be towed from the field for a major upgrade, says Faroe.

The Njord field has been producing since 1997, but, while built to last 25 years, the facility has suffered and required reinforcement work to enable it to continue producing. This was completed during a shutdown from 2013 to July 2014.

Meanwhile, new discoveries have been made in the surrounding area, most significantly Pil and Bue, and further prospects are being drilled on this year, with the latest exploration well, on the Boomerang prospect, recently spudded by VNG Norge, and Shell planning to drill on the Portrush prospect in 3Q. Statoil has also improved recovery on Njord, altogether leading to plans for a re-development of the field.

According to Faroe, concept selection is scheduled for mid-2016, and suspension of production and tow-to-shore of the Njord A facility are currently planned for 2Q 2016.

Boomerang is in production license (PL) 586, containing the 2014 Pil and Bue discoveries, in 320m water depth, 30km from the producing Njord field, in which Faroe has a 7.5% stake.

Drilling, using the Transocean Arctic semisubmersible drilling rig, is targeting prospective resources in the Upper Jurassic reservoirs analogous to the Pil, Bue and Draugen field reservoirs. After the drilling of the Boomerang exploration well bore (6406/12-4S) the campaign will continue with an updip side-track (6406/12-4A) and thereafter a further exploration well (6406/12-5S) on the Central Boomerang (Blink) prospect (Faroe 25%).

Portrush, in PL793, less than 10km south east of Njord field. The exploration well will target prospective resources along the Vingleia fault, in analogous Upper Jurassic reservoirs to Pil, Bue and Draugen, similar to Boomerang. PL793 was awarded to Faroe in January 2015 as part of the 2014 APA licensing round with joint ventures Norske Shell (40% and operator), VNG Norge (20%) and Petoro (20%). The results from a discovery in the well be included in the concept selection and development decisions in the greater Njord and Draugen areas.

Faroe is also a partner on the 2011 discovered Butch field development project, operated by Centrica Energy, on which it says “several attractive development scenarios are being matured in parallel, encompassing subsea tie-back solutions and a fixed jackup facility.” Concept selection is expected in the coming months and the field development plan is planned for submission in 2016.

Faroe’s CEO Graham Stewart says: “2015 is proving to be Faroe's most active year to date, with several exceptional prospects to be drilled and production at an all-time high. Kicking off our follow-up drilling program on the significant 2014 Pil and Bue discoveries, I am very pleased to announce the spudding of the Boomerang exploration well, in the same license and within tie-back distance of the producing Njord field infrastructure. I am also delighted that we can look forward to a further near-term exploration well, on the Shell-operated Portrush prospect, again located close to the Njord and Draugen fields.”

"The Greater Njord Area, which includes the Pil and Bue discoveries, the producing Njord and Hyme fields as well as the Snilehorn discovery announced in late 2013, represent a significant proven resource and a substantial position for Faroe. The company's exciting 2015 exploration drilling campaign, focused entirely on this area, has the potential to add considerable additional value."

Source: www.offshoreenergytoday.com

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