Uchenna Izundu
International Editor
LONDON, Jan. 7 -- Ithaca Energy (UK) Ltd. has installed the wellhead platform and pipelines for its Jacky field in the Inner Moray Firth of the UK North Sea.
Two months of bad weather in the North Sea had caused a delay, so Ithaca hired, on short notice, the Hermod Heavy Lift Vessel to progress the project and ensure that the schedule for the pipelay and for finishing the well completion on time was not impacted. The company said these activities and the delay likely will increase development costs by 20-24% above the original estimate of £59.7 million because of shifts in the exchange rates of the UK pound, US dollar, and euro.
Jacky initially will produce 7,500 b/d in mid-March once the well completion and production well tie-in is finished.
The company will use the Ensco 92 jack up to enter the already-drilled Jacky in mid-February or early March to complete the well work, depending on previous well timing. Jacky will be an unmanned facility with the single well tied back to nearby Beatrice field facilities.
The Beatrice facility will be modified to accommodate Jacky's production, a company spokesman told OGJ. Ithaca plans to add another well at the end of the year if Jacky performs as expected, he added.
As part of the Jacky development project, Ithaca also is reinstating production from the closed-in Beatrice Bravo platform. The Bravo facility was producing about 800 b/d when Talisman Energy UK Ltd. shut in the facility in July 2007 because of corrosion of the pipeline between Bravo and the Alpha platform.
Jacky is owned by operator Ithaca, which has a 67.3% interest, and its partners Dyas 22.7% and North Sea Energy 10%.
Contact Uchenna Izundu at [email protected].
