Apache Starts Up UK's Garten Early
US independent, the Apache Corporation, said late December 4 that it has begun production from its Garten development on Block 9/18a Area-W in the UK North Sea. The discovery well, which is 6km south of the Beryl Alpha platform, was put into production in late November, fewer than eight months after being drilled in March 2018. Apache's interest is 100%.
The discovery well at Garten is currently producing 16,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day, of which 84% is oil, and 16% gas. That breaks down as 13,700 boe/d oil and 15.7mn ft3/d gas.
Apache's North Sea regional vice-president Jon Graham said that the Garten field had been brought online well ahead of its original target of 1Q 2019: "We expect this field will significantly increase Apache’s reserves and production in the UK. With exposure to strong Brent oil and UK natural gas prices, Garten will be a notable contributor to Apache’s cashflow in 2019." Apache added that Garten will positively impact Apache’s 2019 production guidance; Garten's recoverable resource is expected to exceed 10mn bbls of light oil, plus associated natural gas.
The CEO of UK upstream regulator, the Oil and Gas Authority, Andy Samuel, said: "It is great to see the Garten field come onstream less than a year from the original discovery and well ahead of the original plan; the Garten well was the 2,500th exploration well on the UK continental shelf." Industry association Oil & Gas UK's upstream policy director Mike Tholen added: “To have delivered a project from discovery to first oil in just eight months shows the remarkable agility of the UK Continental Shelf as it continues to become more competitive. Apache has shown what can be achieved through a constructive and collaborative relationship with its supply chain."