Buchan Oil Field - Exploration

Exploration

As the initial licence block holder, Transworld Petroleum (UK) with Texaco made the first well into the field in Aug 1974. In the next two years a further three appraisal wells were drilled in the area. However this proved to be very difficult area to extract from: tests revealed an extremely complex and fractured field, and two of the appraisal drills were eventually lost. BP was then farmed in to become the operator of the field in 1977.

Buchan was initial described as a “small field of uncertain reserve potential” (Hill 1979). Early estimates were for reserves of approximately 50 million barrels (7,900,000 m3) of oil. Some estimates though suggested upwards of 120 million barrels (19,000,000 m3) of oil might be extractable depending on further capital expenditure and the ability of the reservoir. Production of the field began in May 1981 and reached peak production capacity in May 1983, when the field was producing 32,000 barrels per day (5,100 m3/d).

Further fields have been discovered in the Buchan field area. The Buchan North Satellite field was discovered shortly after the main field. The nearby Hannay Field, discovered in 1996, is tied back to the Buchan Alpha rig.