Nexen's Buzzard Phase II project has received full sanction from partners and the field development plan has been approved by the UK Oil and Gas Authority, allowing the project to move into the execute stage.
The define stage, which included the front-end engineering design of the development, was successfully completed in June.
BPII is using an integrated project team, comprised of Nexen and supply chain partners AGR Well Management, Baker Hughes, BHGE, COSL Drilling Europe, Subsea 7 and WorleyParsons. This team is working together based on an incentivised, outcome-based commercial model and is on-site at Nexen's Aberdeen office.
The Nexen-operated Buzzard platform will be located 96 kilometres northeast of Aberdeen in approximately 96 metres of water. BPII is a subsea development of the Buzzard northern area.
The objective of the project is to safely develop additional reserves and bring new production on stream, supporting the goal of maximising economic recovery in the North Sea.
The development will be tied back to the existing Buzzard complex with a pipeline bundle assembly incorporating pipelines, manifolds, subsea controls and chemical injection. A brownfield module is to be installed on the Production Platform for processing and export via current export pipeline routes.
A significant amount of this work is being executed by UK-based companies, providing investment to the local UK supply chain and supporting jobs across a range of UK locations.
First oil is expected in the first quarter of 2021.
