From the North Sea (NT): Five years after cracks were first discovered in the SIRI (SEN, 30/22) seabed storage tank, leading to production being halted, the facility in the Danish sector is back in normal operation, Dong reports.

Production was resumed in 2010 after temporary repairs, but suspended again in 2013 when a crack was discovered in a critical area. While a permanent repair was being effected, production was able to resume early this year from the satellite fields - Cecilie, Nini and Nini East - with the oil being pumped directly to a tanker. With the tank now reinstated, Siri has also returned to production. The authorities’ final approval for the repair is still awaited.

With uncertain production from Egyptian wells to feed its LNG facility, BG recently signed an MOU to take gas from the deepwater LEVIATHAN (31/12) prospect, offshore Israel, to feed the plant, but it has not been formalised or approved by the Egyptians.

EnQuest has received approval for its plan to develop the YTHAN prospect as a one-well subsea project through its existing Don SW infrastructure...Ithaca Energy is reporting a reduced production forecast as a result of oil export pump and water injection problems at Taqa’s North Cormorant platform which is hindering production from the CAUSEWAY (30/21) subsea field...Enegi Oil has confirmed its reserves (16mmbbls) forecast for PHOENIX and continues to study the prospect which it thinks can be developed with one horizontal well.

Spanish gas transmission company Enagás and Fluxys have acquired Total and E.ON’s stake in the TAP (31/13) pipeline system which will carry gas from the Caspian Sea. The former joins with 16% and the latter increases its stake by 3% to 19%. SOCAR, Statoil and BP each have a 20% stake with Axpo holding the remaining 5%.

Inpex has taken a 13% stake in JAPAN METHANE HYDRATE CO which is planning to exploit offshore methane hydrates of that Asian company. A plan is being formulated for a long-term production test.

From the North Sea (NT): Pipelay for Maersk Oil UK‘s joint FLYNDRE-CAWDOR (31/5) development will be performed by Technip. A 24.7km, 8in-in-12in pipe-in-pipe system will run from Flyndre via Cawdor to the Clyde platform. Technip will also be responsible for installing a manifold on each field. The manifolds will be supplied by Isleburn and the subsea trees by GE Oil & Gas.

DeepOcean is to provide seabed survey services to STATOIL in the Norwegian sector next year...Bredero Shaw is to handle pipecoating duties on BP’s SHAH DENIZ 2 (31/12) development under a $200mn contract...AGR will supply well construction and project management services to INDEPENDENT OIL & GAS for its upcoming drilling campaign.

From Houston (BN): Petrobras reports a trio of new discoveries offshore of Brazil.

A gas find, dubbed TAGANYIKA, is in 1,043m in the Malombe post-salt discovery evaluation plan in the Espirito Santo Basin, 148km northeast of Vitoria. Well 3-ESS-222 was drilled to TD of 2,996m, passing through a gas-bearing layer at 2,880m. A formation test is planned. Petrobras operates (89.89%) for Repsol Sinopec (11.11%).

BP has spudded the hp/ht ATOLL-1 well in 923m in its North Demietta concession, offshore Egypt, with the semi Maersk Discoverer...Murphy Oil is to sell a 30% stake in its Malaysian assets including KIKEH and SIAKAP NORTH-PETAI to Indonesian oil company Pertamina for $2bn subject to the approval of Petronas.

Offshore