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Buchan Redevelopment
The Buchan field is considered one of the largest development projects in the UK North Sea and forms the central element of creating a GBA production hub that is in-sync with the industry’s decarbonisation strategy
- Material ResourcesThe Buchan field is estimated to contain gross discovered oil and gas resources of approximately 70 MMboe (95% oil), representing the third largest development in the UK North Sea
- Well Understood ReservoirBuchan was in production for 36 years, under the ownership of BP, Talisman and Repsol-Sinopec – the field was prematurely shut-in during 2017 due to issues with the host processing facilities
- Optimised Subsurface PlanDeviated production wells are to be drilled in the crest of the structure using the latest 3D seismic, with reservoir pressure support provided by water injection, to maximising oil recovery from the field
- High Quality InfrastructureThe Buchan field is to be redeveloped using redeployment of the “Western Isles” FPSO
The P.2498 Buchan licence was awarded to JOG in 2019, as part of our wider area development strategy for the GBA. The Buchan oil field lies in approximately 110 metres of water and is located in UKCS blocks 20/05a and 21/01a, 150km northeast of Aberdeen in the UK North Sea. The field was discovered by well 21/01-1 in 1974 which encountered a ~600 metre oil column in over-pressured, fractured, sandstones of the Upper Devonian to Lower Carboniferous Buchan Formation. The field comprises a horst-like, tilted, and eroded fault block with four-way dip closure. Following appraisal drilling to delineate the field, Buchan was bought into production by BP plc in 1981 with nine development wells and initial peak oil production of approximately 55 kbbl/d.
Over a period of 36 years the Buchan field produced 148 MMbbl of 33 °API sweet crude oil, together with 37 Bscf of associated gas. The field ceased production in 2017 due to the certification limitations of the Buchan Alpha floating production vessel that was used as the processing facility for the field. At the time the field was shut-in, only around 29% of the estimated mid case oil in place had been produced at a water-cut of ~50%.
The premature termination of production and subsequent relicensing of the acreage to JOG, has provided the opportunity to implement an optimised and fit-for-purpose redevelopment plan designed to maximise economic recovery and exploit the significant potential of the field.