Serica: FDP Submitted for North Sea Project

Serica Energy plc announced Thursday that a Field Development Plan (FDP) has been submitted for the Columbus development in the central North Sea.

The FDP provides for the supply of up to 40 million cubic feet of gross gas per day at peak to the UK gas market and 1,150 gross barrels per day of condensate and natural gas liquids, Serica revealed.

The development area will be drained by a single subsea well, which will be connected to the proposed Arran-Shearwater pipeline, through which Columbus production will be exported along with Arran Field production, Serica said.

“The FDP is therefore contingent on development approval and go-ahead for the Arran project,” Serica stated in a company release.

Serica revealed that the Oil and Gas Authority has indicated its approval of the FDP will be subject to certain standard requirements including approval of the Columbus Environmental Statement (ES), which has been submitted to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and is currently subject to a public consultation.

Final approval of the FDP and ES are expected before the end of September 2018. Serica said Columbus development timing will depend on the Arran-Shearwater pipeline being tied into the Shearwater platform in the third quarter of 2020. Columbus start-up is targeted for the second quarter of 2021, Serica confirmed.

“The Columbus development is a valuable asset and adds significantly to our corporate objective of building a portfolio of North Sea interests,” Mitch Flegg, chief executive of Serica Energy, said in a company statement.

“Whilst we await certain consents I am very pleased that Serica, and its partners, are able to announce this important step towards field development today,” he added.

Serica has a 50 percent interest in the Columbus development and is operator. Other participants are EOG Resources United Kingdom Limited and Endeavour Energy UK Limited, each holding a 25 percent interest.