The Buchan Redevelopment Project is a proposed redevelopment of the Buchan Horst Field, one of the largest development projects in the UK North Sea.
The project will be developed in the Greater Buchan Area (GBA) with estimated gross development costs of £850-950m.
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The joint venture partners in the Greater Buchan Area are New European Offshore (NEO) Energy (50%, Operator), Serica Energy (30%), and Jersey Oil & Gas (JOG) (20%).
NEO Energy is and Aberdeen-based energy company. Serica Energy is an oil and gas exploration and production company based in the UK. JOG is an energy company of the UK.
The project was expected to enter construction phase in the second quarter (Q2) of 2026 followed by the start of production in late 2027.
The UK Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) plans to consult industry on new environmental guidance for oil and gas projects considering the Finch Supreme Court judgement.
The consultation is not expected to conclude till Spring 2025. The deferral of environmental statements of the projects including Buchan postponed the date of the start of production.
Buchan Redevelopment Project Location
The Buchan Redevelopment Project is located 115km northeast of the Aberdeenshire coastline and 103.5km west of the UK/Norway median line in the Central North Sea.
The field is located in the Outer Moray Firth in Blocks 20/05a and 21/01a of the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) in water depth of approximately 110m.
Project Background
The Buchan Field (now Buchan Horst Field) was discovered in 1974 by Repsol Resources UK (operator) and BP by the drilling of 21/01-1 well.
The well encountered around 600m oil column in the sandstones of the Upper Devonian to Lower Carboniferous Buchan Formation.
Buchan consists of a horst-like, eroded, and tilted fault block with a four-way dip closure. After appraisal drilling, the field commenced production in 1981.
With nine development wells, it had an initial peak oil production of approximately 55 thousand barrels per day (kbbl/d).
In 2017, Buchan ceased production due to certification limitations of the Buchan Alpha Floating Production Vessel.
The field produced 148 million barrels (mmbbl) of 33°API sweet crude oil and 37 billion standard cubic feet (bscf) of associated gas over 36 years of production.
At the time of shut-in, the field produced around 29% of the expected mid case oil at a water cut of around 50%. Subsequently, the field acreage was relicensed to JOG.
NEO Energy (50%) joined JOG (50%) in the redevelopment of the field and changed the name of the field to Buchan Horst Field.
NEO will acquire full equity in the Western Isles Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) under a sale and purchase agreement signed with Dana Petroleum in November 2023.
In early 2024, Serica Energy acquired non-operated interests in the P2498 and P2170 licences (the GBA) from Jersey and became a partner in the GBA.
The wells for the redevelopment project are planned to be drilled from Q2 2025 to Q4 2026. The FPSO is planned to be modified and upgraded from Q4 2024 to Q2 2026. The subsea installation and the subsequent tie-back to the FPSO are planned to commence in Q2 2026.
Project Infrastructure
The project will include the drilling and completion of up to five production wells with two water injection wells. The wells will be drilled at two drill centres located within a 500m zone.
The Western Isles sevan-type Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel will be installed in the area.
It will be located approximately 1.5km from the drill centres. The FPSO will be upgraded and will work on electricity.
After FPSO installation, the subsea infrastructure will be installed. The subsea infrastructure will include production wells, water injection wells, gas lift flowlines, and an umbilical.
The subsea infrastructure will enable tie-back of the wells to the FPSO. For export, a new gas export pipeline will be tied back either to the 362km, 32-inch Frigg UK (FUKA) Pipeline or to the 323km long Scottish Area Gas Evacuation (SAGE) Pipeline system.
If tied to the FUKA Pipeline, the tie-in would be at the existing Ettrick Pipeline End Manifold (PLEM) and at the existing Tweedsmuir subsea manifold if tied to the SAGE system.
The oil will be exported via shuttle tankers. The oil and gas production will be conducted with water injection and gas lift.
Buchan Redevelopment Project Details
The oil produced from the wells of the Buchan Redevelopment Project will be processed at the FPSO.
The processing facilities on the FPSO will separate oil, gas, and produced water. The separated oil will be exported from the FPSO via shuttle tankers.
The gas will be exported either to the FUKA pipeline system or to the SAGE system via a new subsea pipeline. The produced water will be returned to the subsea wells to be reinjected into the reservoir.
Contractors Involved
In November 2023, the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) study of the Buchan Redevelopment Project was awarded to Apollo Engineering Consultants, a sustainable energy solutions provider, by NEO Energy.
The contract includes asset repairs and modifications for the FPSO, late-life extension procedures, and complex electrical infrastructure integration into the FPSO. Up to 40 members will work on the contract.
The Environmental Statement (ES) of the project was prepared by Genesis Environmental Specialists. The statement was issued in January 2024.
Petrofac, an energy services company, was selected by JOG to conduct a concept study to identify the economically viable solution for the redevelopment of the project.
Petrofac evaluated host types, drilling strategies, export routes, and commercial strategies to shortlist options for further appraisal. The study was completed in January 2021.
