Studies Start to Develop Marigold UK North Sea Field Using Piper Bravo Platform

Pre-front end engineering and design studies (Pre-FEED) have started for the development of the Ithaca and Hibiscus owned Marigold field via the Repsol Sinopec-operated Piper Bravo platform in the UK North Sea. Repsol Sinopec made the announcement on behalf of its alliance (‘the Alliance’) with TechnipFMC and Petrofac.

Hibiscus and Ithaca are working with the Alliance, formed in February 2021, with an integrated project team based at Repsol Sinopec’s Aberdeen office.

The Piper ‘B’ platform in the Piper Bravo Field is located 193km northeast of Aberdeen in the Central North Sea. The platform, which stands in approximately 145 meters of water, is an eight-legged fixed steel jacket supported platform. It was installed in 1992 and startedproduction in February 1993. Piper ‘B’s process facilities separate production from the Piper, Saltire, Chanter, Iona, and Tweedsmuir reservoirs into oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs) and drygas. The platform processes oil and condensate for onward transmission to Flotta Terminal. It is now being studied as a development solutions for the Marigold field.

The Marigold oil field, along with a smaller discovery Sunflower, forms part of the Marigold cluster and lies northeast of block 15/13a, approximately 250km northeast of Aberdeen in the central North Sea. Other assets in the cluster include Crown field and Kildrummy discovery. Marigold is anticipated to be the tie-in point for the Sunflower field and other discoveries in the Quad 15 area.

“The partnership offers owners of oil and gas discoveries near Repsol Sinopec’s existing North Sea infrastructure hubs an integrated and commercially flexible solution to meet their development objectives,” Repsol Sinopec said.

The Marigold field development concept consists of up to nine subsea wells, tied back 16km to the Piper Bravo platform, where gas lift, processing, and transportation services will be provided before exporting oil to Repsol Sinopec’s Flotta Terminal for tanker offload. Peak production is expected to be 40,000 barrels of oil per day and 12 million standard cubic meters of gas per day.

According to Repsol Sinopec, it is anticipated that Marigold infrastructure will facilitate a number of future development opportunities including the nearby Sunflower and Q-block discoveries. 

“Development of the Marigold field will contribute to the UK’s energy security, delivering between 50 to 60 million barrels of oil equivalent during its operational life, while reducing the UK’s reliance on carbon intensive imports from overseas,” the company said.

José Luis Muñoz, Repsol Sinopec CEO, on behalf of the Alliance partnership, said: “We are pleased to be working with industry to develop the Marigold field via Repsol Sinopec’s Piper Bravo platform; aligning with MER objectives and facilitating domestic energy supply.

“As an industry we must get better at recognizing the benefits of collaboration and utilizing existing North Sea infrastructure to maximize recovery from the basin, along with minimizing carbon emissions and facilitating the transition to a lower-carbon economy. Our alliance and the progression of this project support the continued success of the industry for many years to come.”