UK: Total to Begin Islay Gas Field Production in March

Total will begin production from the Islay gas field in the UK North Sea from next month, the company's head of Northern European operations Patrice de Viviès has said.

As reported by the Dow Jones news service, the executive said that Total will double its current manpower in the UK North Sea, as the companies moves to develop the Laggan and Tormore fields, located northwest of the Shetland Islands.

"We will spend 12 million man hours in 2012 compared to 6 million in 2011," Mr. de Viviès said.

Mr. de Viviès also said that the company was in the process of finalising a number of sales of some of its non-controlled interests in the UK North Sea, including the Armada gas fields, located about 160 kilometres northeast of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Total is the operator and 100 per cent shareholder of the Islay gas. Total,  which was granted approval for the development of the field in July 2010, estimates the total reserves of the field at 17 million barrels of oil equivalent and an estimated peak gas production rate of 2.5 million standard cubic metres per day plus associated condensates.