UK-based oil major BP has announced the successful start-up of operations in the UK North Sea’s Murlach project.
This now takes the company’s tally of new production projects to six just for this year. Taken together, the projects add a total of 150,000 barrels per day (bpd) of production for BP. The senior vice president for projects at BP, Ewan Drummond, said the safe start-up of the new project:
“…marks another important milestone in our plan to deliver 10 major upstream oil and gas projects by the end of 2027. These projects reflect BP strength in safely increasing production to supply energy to meet global demand, while maintaining a relentless focus on shareholder returns.”
He also added how four of these projects had even begun production sooner than planned, demonstrating BP’s focus on delivering efficiently.
The company’s planned total of 10 project start-ups is expected to add around 250,000 bpd in peak production by the end of 2027. This renewed focus on the upstream business has led to BP seeking to divest other assets. These include the iconic Castrol brand, which will no doubt continue to produce advanced lubricant and coolant products under new stewardship.
Murloch itself is a redevelopment of an existing field made possible after the existing operator relinquished its license and allowed BP to take it up. The two new wells tie back to the 27-year-old Eastern Trough Area Project (ETAP), a North Sea hub operated by BP. This fits with the company’s strategy of identifying North Sea opportunities that can make use of existing infrastructure.
