EurOil: Harbour brings on stream UK's Talbot field

Harbour Energy has commenced production at its Talbot development, a three-well subsea tieback situated approximately 16 km southeast of the Judy platform in the UK North Sea, the company said last week. Harbour holds a 67% stake in the project, with Ithaca Energy owning the remaining 33%.

In March, Harbour announced plans to initiate subsea activities at Talbot, which included the installation of a 15-km pipe-in-pipe pipeline and an electro-hydraulic chemical control umbilical linking Talbot to the Judy platform. Gas produced at Talbot will be transported via the Central Area Transmission System (CATS) to the Teesside Gas Processing Plant, while oil will be exported through the Norpipe transportation system to the Teesside terminal.

Scott Barr, managing director of Harbour Energy’s UK business unit, noted the project’s timely completion, stating: “The safe start-up of production at Talbot delivers on our strategy of targeting high-return, short-cycle investment opportunities around our operated hubs in the UK North Sea – on time and on budget – predictable execution is key.”

According to the company’s half-year results, Talbot is expected to significantly enhance production in the fourth quarter. Harbour Energy’s move comes amid speculation about its potential divestment of North Sea assets, with reports in October suggesting the company is considering a US listing and a withdrawal from some UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) projects.

The timing of this development coincides with the Labour government’s first budget announcement since assuming office earlier this year. Stephen Flynn, SNP MP for Aberdeen South, commented on the situation, describing Harbour’s actions as “a stark warning for the Labour government” regarding its North Sea energy policies.

Harbour completed the acquisition of the upstream business of Germany’s Wintershall DEA in early September, giving it production and exploration rights in Norway, Argentina, Germany, Mexico, Algeria, Libya, Egypt and Denmark, as well as North Sea carbon capture and storage (CCS) licences. The move raised Harbour Energy’s production to 475,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, up from only 177,000 boepd in the third quarter.

In northwest Europe, Harbour is looking ahead to the launch of the Maria Phase 2 project next year, previously operated by Wintershall DEA. The project is set to recover an additional 27mn barrels of oil equivalent (boe) from the field between 2025 and 2040.

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