Centrica secures rig to develop Grove gas field

April 17, 2008
Centrica PLC will drill three wells and add offshore compression facilities in Grove gas field in the southern North Sea during the third quarter to boost production. Completion of the wells is scheduled for spring 2009.

Uchenna Izundu
International Editor

LONDON, Apr. 17 -- Centrica PLC will drill three wells and add offshore compression facilities in Grove gas field in the southern North Sea during the third quarter to boost production. Completion of the wells is scheduled for spring 2009.

Transocean's Galaxy II rig will carry out the drilling program.

Grove, which exports gas to Den Helder in the Netherlands, is one of the fields Centrica gained in its 2007 acquisition of Newfield Exploration Co. (OGJ, Sept. 24, 2007, p. 28).

Since the acquisition, Centrica has seen higher than expected production from Grove. The deal will increase Centrica's gas reserves by 32 bcf over the next 3 years, and the wells and new facilities will more than double the field's production rates.

"As a result of this work program and further development in 2009 and 2010, we expect to have developed additional reserves from these assets in line with the plan we set out last year," said Sam Laidlaw, Centrica's chief executive.

Contact Uchenna Izundu at [email protected].