From the North Sea (NT): Development of EnQuest’s SCOLTY and CRATHES (SEN, 31/16) discoveries as satellites to the Kittiwake field in what is now known as the Greater Kittiwake Area (GKA) in the UK sector should be relatively straightforward.

Each field will have one horizontal subsea well, which will be gas-lifted. However, as both reservoirs have strong aquifer support, no water injection will be required.

Each well will be tied into a mini-manifold. A reeled 8in production flowline will run 9km from Scolty in 21/8a to Crathes in 21/12c-13a and then a further 16km to Kittiwake, where the wellstream will access the platform through a new riser.

Lift-gas will be supplied through a 4in pipeline. Due to space constraints on the platform, redundant drilling equipment will be removed to make way for the Scolty/Crathes equipment.

The fields are due onstream in July 2017, with a peak combined flow of 20,000b/d. By 2018, however, production will have dropped to an average 14,610b/d. Production is expected to continue for 10 years.

According to the output projections, which actually run to 2032, combined P10 reserves are somewhat in excess of 18mmbbl.

From the North Sea (NT): A bright future is foreseen for Norway’s northern areas by Rystad Energy.

The consultancy predicts that by 2040 these areas – the BARENTS SEA and NORTHERN NORWEGIAN SEA – are likely to be responsible for the bulk of the country’s oil and gas production.

By 2030, Rystad suggests, capex and opex could soar from NOK30bn to NOK170bn ($25.4bn) with nine production hubs in place – Snøhvit, Goliat, Alta/Gohta, Johan Castberg, the Hoop area and Barents Southeast in the Barents, and Aasta Hansteen, Norne and Skarv in the northern Norwegian Sea. In fact three already exist and two are currently under development.

The most eye-catching claim in the report is that break-even prices of $60-70/bbl can be achieved. This reflects some advantages found in the Barents, such as large finds – Castberg is estimated to contain up to 600mmbbl - with shallow reservoirs dampening drilling costs. Standardisation of equipment and the establishment of local support capacity will help push costs down.

A big volume at Castberg (SEN, 31/11) has not prevented Statoil from delaying the project for a year while it seeks to make 25% savings, and Goliat (31/16), which is running 50% over budget, is hardly setting an encouraging example.

The licencees on the APHRODITE (30/14) gas prospect, offshore Cyprus, have re-evaluated drilling data and upgraded reserves in place to 125-130bcm. Plans are now moving towards a joint development with the bigger Israeli LEVIATHAN (31/14) find.

Meanwhile old enmities between Greece and Turkey have re-surfaced with the former telling the latter to allow Cyprus to get on with developing its offshore resources without provocation. Turkey does not recognise Cyprus and no one but Turkey recognises North Cyprus as a separate political entity.

From Australia (RW): McDermott International has won a three-year contract from Shell Petroleum to install pipelines and umbilicals for the CHAMPION and AMPA oil fields, offshore Brunei.

The initial work involves transportation and installation of about 100km of pipelines, including corrosion resistant alloy-clad lines as well as umbilicals and cables.

The company will use derrick barge DB30 along with other commissioned vessels to support the program. It will move on to hydro-testing, pre-commissioning and the salvage of redundant risers.

Champion has complex geology and has been in production since 1972. Earlier this year McDermott was involved in transport and installation of four jackets for the field’s waterflood B2/3 development. The water injection program aims to increase the field’s recoverable reserves by 200mmbbls.

TULLOW OIL, like many other operators, is reviewing upcoming activity. It has reduced its exploration budget for 2015 to $300mn and plans to allocate no new funds to existing finds in Mauritania and French Guiana.