BP has announced the successful commencement of production at the Seagull oil and gas field, situated in the UK North Sea. This milestone not only enhances energy supplies but also supports the supply chain and job opportunities, while fortifying continued production from an offshore facility that has been in operation for 25 years.
Developed by Neptune Energy, Seagull serves as a subsea tieback to BP’s central processing facility (CPF) at the Eastern Trough Area Project (ETAP) in the central North Sea, approximately 140 miles east of Aberdeen. This project has played a pivotal role in job creation, sustaining 800 jobs throughout its development phase.
Doris Reiter, Senior Vice President of BP North Sea, highlighted the company’s commitment to the North Sea and its dedication to supporting job growth and a robust supply chain. Reiter stated, “bp has been safely operating in the North Sea for nearly 60 years, delivering a reliable flow of energy, supporting thousands of jobs and a world-class supply chain. We plan to keep doing this by investing in our existing oil and gas infrastructure, like at ETAP, which has been a cornerstone of our North Sea portfolio for a quarter of a century. The start-up of Seagull is a fantastic milestone that demonstrates how bp is investing in today’s energy system and, at the same time, investing in the energy transition.”
Seagull represents the first tieback to the ETAP hub in two decades and is located ten miles south of the ETAP CPF. The field is developed with four wells, and production is facilitated through a new three-mile subsea pipeline that connects to an existing pipeline system. Additionally, a ten-mile umbilical has been installed, establishing a vital link between the ETAP CPF and the Seagull field, providing control, power, and communications services between the surface and seafloor.
Production from the Seagull field contributes to the continued operation of the ETAP CPF, supporting 350 full-time jobs, including 270 offshore positions and 80 onshore roles. Oil extracted from Seagull is transported via the Forties Pipeline System to Grangemouth in central Scotland, while gas is routed to Teesside through the Central Area Transmission System.
At peak production, Seagull is expected to produce approximately 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
Alan Muirhead, UK Country Director at Neptune Energy, emphasized the significance of collaborative efforts in achieving this project’s success. He noted, “Seagull is an excellent example of what can be achieved through close collaboration. From the beginning, the partners have taken an innovative approach to ensure we can collectively maximize the recovery of domestic energy resources while extending the life of existing subsea infrastructure to reduce development costs.”
Tomomi Yamada, Managing Executive Officer at JAPEX, expressed their delight at the successful start-up of the Seagull field and their belief in the project’s potential to benefit business expansion in the North Sea, strengthening their partnership with BP and Neptune in the process.