Aberdeen-based oil explorer Ithaca Energy is making ‘good progress’ on the final stages of the commissioning programme on its Greater Stella North Sea field, and completion of the various system handovers to operations is ‘imminent’
First production from the Stella field is anticipated in September 2016.
Preparation of the FPF-1 for departure from the shipyard in Poland is well advanced and the vessel is expected to be ready for sail-away to the Stella field by the end of this month or early in July 2016.
The FPF-1 modifications programme, which is being completed by Petrofac in the Remontowa shipyard in Poland is in the final stages of completion, with only a limited number of commissioning activities requiring close out prior to sail-away.
The operations team have been living on the vessel since May, the marine works have been finished and the engineering teams are in the process of closing out handover of the various processing and utilities systems to the operations team.
Following towing of the FPF-1 to the Stella field, the vessel will be moored on location using twelve pre-installed anchor chains. The dynamic risers and umbilicals that connect the subsea infrastructure to the vessel will then be installed. Thereafter, commissioning of the various processing and utility systems requiring hydrocarbons from the field will be completed
Ithaca has also been able to take advantage of the downturn in industry activity to secure attractive contracting terms, including a lump sum contract for the installation of the 30-mile pipeline required from the FPF-1 to the Norpipe system.
The net capital expenditure associated with the work programme is approximately $20 million, with the majority being paid in 2017.
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