Premier eyes Tolmount boost

June 3, 2019

Premier Oil are preparing to start early engineering studies on a potential second platform for its Tolmount gas development in the southern North Sea. Premier Oil are displaying a high level of confidence in the Tolmount field and are hopeful of proving up more reserves in the area.

Premier Oil are gearing up for the initial drilling of an appraisal well in July of this year on the Tolmount East prospect. The Tolmount East appraisal well will be drilled by a newly built jack-up Ensco 123, currently en route from Singapore. If the upcoming wells live up to expectations Premier will consider installing a small dry-well platform to tap Tolmount East. The platform would then be linked to the Tolmount Main platform by a small 12” pipeline.

The Tolmount Main development, due on stream in late 20-20, discovered 500 Bcf in its first phase. Tolmount East are targeting 220bn cubic feed to 300 Bcf of gross unrisked resources.

The Tolmount Main development project was sanctioned August of last year and will center on a new minimal facilities platform. The platform is currently being built by Rosetti Marino in Italy.

Although the Tolmount field is believed to have a relative short-lived lifespan with peak production rate for two to two-and-a-half years. Premier’s UK business unit manager Paul Williams recently announced that although the main focus for Premier Oil is the Tolmount development they are looking into the future for the field. The hope is for the peak productions to be more of a plateau that will go on for three to seven years into the future.

A 3D seismic survey across the Greater Tolmount Area was completed in April and the data is now being processed.