Premier Oil PLC directors have approved development of Tolmount natural gas field in the southern UK North Sea, where the company sees satellite potential.
In an operations update, Premier said formal sanction by partners is expected in the third quarter.
Development will use a stand-alone, normally unstaffed platform and a new 48-km pipeline to an onshore terminal northeast of Grimsby, England.
Four wells will be drilled from the platform to develop 540 bcf of gas reserves in the Tolmount main structure. Premier expects production to start from the main structure in 2020 and to peak in 2022 at about 240 MMscfd.
It has identified step-out potential in structures labeled Tolmount East and Tolmount Far East, where wells could be completed subsea and tied back to the platform. It also reports a prospect north of Tolmount East called Mongour.
E.On of Germany made the Tolmount discovery in 2011 on Block 42/28d with a well that cut more than 200 ft of gas pay in Permian Leman sandstone and tested 50.2 MMcfd of gas on an 80/64-in. choke.
Premier acquired E.ON’s 50% interest in the license, P1330, in 2016 (OGJ Online, Jan. 13, 2016). Dana Petroleum Ltd., Aberdeen, holds the other 50% of the license.
Dana Petroleum and CATS Management Ltd. will build and own the platform and pipeline. Tolmount’s upstream partners will pay a tariff for use of the facilities.
