Talisman Energy UK Ltd., the North Sea E&P arm of Talisman Energy Inc., has awarded Aker Maritime ASA's Aker McNulty yard in Newcastle an extensive contract for the development of the Canadian independent's Blake field and the linked tie-in to the Bluewater Group's Bleo Holm FPSO, currently producing nearby Ross field.
The contract, valued at �15-20 million, covers engineering, hookup, installation and commissioning of a new water injection module, a produced water/cooling medium module, and a new compression package, as well as upgrades to the existing process separators and other modifications to the Bleo Holm.
Aberdeen-based sister company Aker Oil & Gas Technology will assist the McNulty yard in carrying out the project's detailed engineering design.
Talisman UK General Manager Paul Blakely said he was delighted to be able to award the first contract for an FPSO in the UK for close to 3 years to a "home yard," given the problems currently being experienced by the UK fabrication sector. He added that the Aker bid provided the best fit-for-purpose solution for Blake.
Current plans have the Talisman-operated Bleo Holm demobilized from the Ross field for a scheduled 120 days, brought in to Aker's South Shields facility to be modified, and returned in time to restart production from Ross and bring Blake onstream by the third quarter of next year.
At the time Talisman received the go-ahead from the UK Department of Trade & Industry to develop Blake, recoverable reserves were put at between 50-75 million bbl. An eight-well drilling program got underway at the field in April and is currently "halfway through the third well," according to Talisman, with installation of the field's subsea facilities is expected in early 2001.
