Oil production has started ahead of schedule from Fletcher Finucane oil field offshore Western Australia in the Carnarvon basin, project operator Santos Ltd. reported.
The $490 million (Aus.) project was originally due on stream during this year’s second half after a final investment decision was reached in January (OGJ Online, Jan. 13, 2013).
The field is producing 15,000 b/d of oil through a three-well subsea tieback to the Mutineer Exeter floating production, storage, and offloading vessel.
Gross proved and probable reserves are put at 14 million bbl.
The project effectively extends the life of the nearby Mutineer-Exeter oil fields, which have been on stream for a number of years.
Santos is also hoping to expand the reserves still further with the drilling of the Vanuatu prospect on the same permit, hopefully later this year.
Santos holds a 44% aggregate interest in the project; partners include Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Co. (Kufpec) and JX Nippon Oil & Gas Exploration Corp.