Repsol Sinopec confirms first oil from Montrose Area redevelopment, North Sea

ABERDEEN -- First oil has begun to flow from the Shaw field, part of the major redevelopment of the Montrose Area in the Central North Sea, operated by Repsol Sinopec Resources UK.

The Montrose Area Redevelopment (MAR) is a major capital project that significantly enhances the long term Montrose Area infrastructure. The project incorporates the development of three new fields - Godwin, Cayley and Shaw - and a new bridge-linked production platform (BLP) connected to the Montrose Alpha to provide additional process and plant support facilities.

Godwin field has been developed via an extended reach well from the Arbroath platform. Cayley and Shaw fields have been developed as subsea tie-backs to the BLP. Shaw production will be followed by Cayley by the end of second-quarter 2017, with gross incremental production expected to peak at up to 40,000 boed. The project overall is expected to unlock up to 100 MMboe of additional reserves.

Bill Dunnett, managing director at Repsol Sinopec Resources UK, said, “This is a major achievement for this business and will help to consolidate the transformation that Repsol Sinopec Resources has undergone in the last two years. The Montrose Area is a key part of our long-term future and we look forward to it safely delivering value for us, our shareholders and our partner Marubeni for many years to come.”

In addition to developing the new fields, the MAR project is expected to extend the life of the existing Montrose Area fields to beyond 2030. Montrose Alpha was originally commissioned in 1976.