Mariner and Bressay bids under evaluation

Statoil expects to make a significant step forward with its Mariner and Bressay heavy oil developments in the UK North Sea by the end of this year. 
Bids for Engineering Procurement and Construction of the major surface facilities at Mariner are now with Statoil and are under evaluation. 

And the operator expects to make a final investment decision on the Mariner project late this year, an operator source has indicated. 

“All major bids for Mariner and Bressay surface facilities are currently under evaluation, with planned contact awards in 2012/2013,”  the source confirmed. “We expect to make the final investment decision for Mariner late this year.”

Meanwhile Statoil is also planning to come out to the market with in next month with another major subsea tender related to Mariner and Bressay, for Subsea Umbilicals, Risers and Flowlines. 

One tender of the major EPC tenders is for the construction of the Mariner steel jacket. A second is for a drilling package, and a third is for provision of process and utilities and living quarters – referred to by Statoil as a PULQ. Tenders were invited last June.

Development of Mariner alone has been estimated at £5 billion, with a major new production, drilling and quarters platform supported on a steel jacket, and a floating storage unit.  And the bid packages included options for similar facilities at Bressay.

As many as 50 wells with up to 92 sidetrack wells are predicted in order to tap the Mariner heavy oil which lies in two reservoirs, Maureen sands, and an overlaying Heimdal sand. Wells are to be fitted with downhole pumps and diluent is also planned as part of the development to dilute crude for better flow rates.Source: offshore.no