GDF Announces Start-up Orca Gas Field

GDF Suez announced the start-up of production from the Southern North Sea Orca gas field, which straddles the UK and Dutch sectors. 

According to a note released on Tuesday, initial gas has been produced from the D18a-A production platform located in Dutch water. GDF expects the second well to come on-stream by the end of the year. The third well is expected to start producing gas in February 2014.

‘With first gas from Juliet, also in the Southern North Sea, expected before the end of the year, GDF SUEZ E&P is demonstrating the potential of the North Sea as a mature region,’ Jean-Marie Dauger, Executive Vice President of GDF SUEZ, in charge of Global Gas & LNG Business Line commented in the press release.

GDF Suez E&P Nederland holds 22.5% of the licences and it is the operator. The other shareholders are E.ON E&P UK (23.5%), EBN (22.5%), RWE Dea UK (19.7%), GDF Suez E&P UK (8.6%) and Faroe Petroleum (3.2%).

‘Thanks to constructive dialogue it was possible for the project to be brought to the field development stage faster than expected,” Dirk Schoene, Managing Director of RWE Dea UK, commented in another note.