A dozen key projects in the North Sea are expected to deliver a golden opportunity for the UK supply chain in the coming years.
The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) and Global Underwater Hub (GUH) said the developments will require 47 new wells drilled and 200 miles of pipeline installed, as well as thousands of days in action for offshore rigs and vessels.
The projects include Ithaca Energy’s Cambo field, Shell’s Jackdaw and Equinor’s Rosebank.
Details of eight of the developments are now on the NSTA pathfinder portal, and the other five are BP’s Murlach, Ping Petroleum’s Avalon, Hibiscus’s Teal West, Ithaca’s Captain Phase 2 project and Harbour Energy’s Talbot. The other four are to be added “in due course”.
Energy Voice says most of the offshore work for seven of the 12 projects is expected to get underway this year or in 2024, depending on net-zero assessments being passed.
Between them, the 12 are expected to deliver 8,400 “vessel days” and 3,900 “rig days”, according to research.
Safeguarding employment
NSTA and GUH said the figures show domestic oil and gas projects will “continue to drive economic growth” and safeguard employment for “hundreds of existing skilled workers”.
They also emphasised the sheer volume of rig and vessel capacity needed from the sector.
To deliver the work, operators face competition for equipment and skills from other oil and gas producing regions and the UK’s burgeoning offshore renewables sector, whose continued growth relies on many of the same resources.
Bill Cattanach, NSTA head of supply chain, told Energy Voice: “This new research provides clear evidence that companies with vessels and rigs on their books can look forward to plentiful near-term project opportunities in UK waters.
“To fully capitalise on them, effective collaboration across the industry is absolutely vital.”
The NSTA highlighted that its pathfinder portal gives for more details on the projects and how to get involved.
Joined-up approach
GUH chief executive Neil Gordon said: “It’s more imperative than ever that we have a joined-up approach to these developments which takes account of the vast scale of all opportunities on the horizon for the subsea supply chain.
“Industry must have confidence in the regulatory environment, leading to visibility, and - more importantly - surety of the domestic project pipeline.”