North Sea oilfield output overtakes Hurricane estimates

Exploration and production group Hurricane Energy has announced that production at one of the North Sea’s most promising new oil fields is ahead of expectations.

It is thought the Lancaster field could hold more than 500 million barrels of oil. Picture: Steve Parsons

The UK group said production at the Lancaster field, in the West of Shetland, averaged around 14,400 barrels of oil per day from first oil in June until 17 August.

However, the group added that operations in the coming months are likely to be “constrained” by planned works, and repeated its production guidance for the second half of 2019 at around 11,000 barrels a day. It is thought the field could hold more than 500 million barrels of oil.

Chief executive Robert Trice said: “Our production levels have been above expectations for this early phase of operations.

“However, we remain cognisant that it will take up to a year to acquire and interpret sufficient performance information to test our reservoir model of the field.”