UK-headquartered energy giant BP has entrusted Subsea Integration Alliance, a strategic alliance between SLB’s OneSubsea and Subsea7, with the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) of subsea pipelines (SURF) and production systems (SPS) at an oil and gas field in the North Sea, which will be developed as a subsea tie-back to an existing platform on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS).
Subsea Integration Alliance’s new contract, worth between $50 million and $150 million, is for the Murlach oil and gas development, formerly known as Skua, 240 kilometers east of Aberdeen in the UK sector of the North Sea. The partners in the non-incorporated strategic global alliance highlight that they have pooled resources with BP to develop a technology solution leveraging OneSubsea’s standard equipment, which is said to be simpler to design and quicker to install when compared with traditional configured-to-order subsea systems.
Olivier Blaringhem, Chief Executive Officer of Subsea Integration Alliance, commented: “This is BP’s third fully integrated EPCI project with Subsea Integration Alliance marking an important milestone as we extend our support to the UK North Sea market.”
The work scope for the two-production well subsea tie-back development to the existing Eastern Trough Area Project (ETAP) central processing facility (CPF), which received government and regulatory approval in September 2023, entails the first deployment of OneSubsea’s standard, configurable, vertical monobore tree systems in the UK North Sea, which will be deployed via vessel to reduce drill rig days. In addition, two vertical monobore trees, a two-slot manifold, and associated topside controls will also be delivered.
On the other hand, Subsea7 is tasked with installing eight kilometers of rigid flowline and two flexible jumpers, along with associated subsea infrastructure. The new flowline is going to be tied back to the ETAP platform. While fabrication of the pipelines will occur at Subsea7’s spoolbase at Vigra, Norway, offshore operations are slated to be executed in 2025.
Hani El Kurd, Senior Vice President for Subsea7 UK & Global Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance, noted: “We are delighted to be awarded this contract by BP, as it recognises Subsea Integration Alliance’s global reputation for seamless, full subsea system delivery. Subsea7 has a long relationship with BP and we look forward to supporting their Murlach development.”
The fluids from Murlach will be processed at the ETAP central processing facility before onward export via the Forties Pipeline System and Central Area Transmission System. The first oil is expected in 2025 and the field life is estimated to be 11 years. BP hired Wood a few months ago for engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC) services to repurpose the central processing facility of the ETAP production hub and enable the platform’s connection to Murlach.
The ETAP hub, which came online in July 1998, was initially estimated to have a production life of 20-25 years, with decommissioning predicted to begin in 2023. A $1 billion investment in 2015 secured its future into the 2030s. BP operates all the ETAP fields – Machar, Madoes, Mirren, Monan, Marnock, Mungo, and Seagull.
Subsea Integration Alliance has won several new assignments recently, including a deal with the Turkish Petroleum Offshore Technology Center (TP-OTC) for a natural gas project in the Black Sea and another agreement with Equinor for the Wisting field offshore Norway and the Bay du Nord project off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.