BP starts Loyal drilling
ENERGY giant BP has announced the start of drilling in the Loyal field as part of a wider seven-year drilling campaign to the west of Shetland.
The semi-submersible Deepsea Aberdeen rig has been contracted to drill wells in the Schiehallion and Loyal fields, forming part of the Quad204 development. The company says it is capable of operating in harsh environments and drilling in depths up to 3,000 metres.
BP’s North Sea regional president Trevor Garlick said it marked an “exciting and important milestone” for the company.
“The drilling campaign not only demonstrates our commitment to the region in what is a challenging time, but will also help maximise production from Schiehallion and Loyal, contributing to the long term competitiveness of BP’s North Sea business,” Garlick said.
Despite widespread concerns about the future of the industry, BP is in the middle of a five-year £7 billion investment programme in the North Sea.
Ownership of Loyal is shared between BP and Shell, while the Schiehallion field is co-owned by the same two companies along with OMV.
The Deepsea Aberdeen, operated by Odfjell Drilling, will drill wells on the Loyal field before moving onto Schiehallion.
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