Independent oil and gas production and infrastructure company RockRose Energy said yesterday it had commissioned a report into whether a North Sea asset should be replaced.
London-headquartered RockRose is paying Crondall Energy to assess the Bleo Holm floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, which serves the Blake and Ross fields in the outer Moray Firth.
The assessment could recommend the replacement of the FPSO. It could also propose extending the life of Bleo Holm, which is operated by Repsol Sinopec Resources UK.
A spokesman for RockRose said the work was being undertaken to “extend the life of the fields and give the opportunity to fully deliver other discovered hydrocarbons in the area”.
The study is likely to be of interest to i3 Energy, which has been exploring whether its Liberator field can be tied back to the FPSO.
Bleo Holm was installed in 1999, with first oil from Ross coming that same year. Production from Blake followed in 2001.
The vessel is currently slated to be on station until 2024.
RockRose owns 30.82% of Blake and Ross. The company also holds a 50% stake in the nearby Tain satellite discovery.
A second report ordered by RockRose will examine whether Blake and Tain contain more oil than current estimates suggest.
That study will help inform a final investment decision on Tain, RockRose said.