Centrica Submits Oda Oilfield Plan

UK utility Centrica has submitted the plan for development and operation (PDO) of the Oda oil field to Norway’s petroleum and energy ministry. Gas represents only 5% of reserves and all gas produced will be reinjected.

Centrica operates Oda with 40%; partners are Canada’s Suncor Energy 30%, plus Faroe Petroleum and Tullow Oil each with 15%. They will invest  5.4bn Norwegian kroner ($630mn) to develop the field, 40% than initially expected due to project cost reductions. Field start up is scheduled for 2019.

Oda (previously called Butch) was discovered in 2011 in PL405 in the southern part of the Norwegian North Sea. It will be developed as a seabed tie-back to the Ula platform 13km to the east whence oil will be exported to Ekofisk and onward via Norpipe to Teesside, UK.

All produced gas from Oda will be injected in the Ula reservoir to improve oil recovery from the Ula field.

Oda’s recoverable reserves are estimated at 48mn barrels of oil equivalent, of which 95% is oil. Production is expected to peak at 35,000 boe/d.

Oda’s subsea tie-in will require the re-use of existing Oselvar infrastructure (Faroe 55% and operator) from the Ula platform. Faroe Petroleum said that production from Oselvar will cease in order to allow Oda production to begin, with Oselvar owners compensated accordingly

Illustration of the planned Oda subsea development, as a tie-back to the Ula platform 13km away (Graphic credit: Centrica)

Mark Smedley