Orcadian Energy making ‘great strides’ with North Sea project after letting off steam

Orcadian Energy making ‘great strides’ with North Sea project after letting off steam

The boss of North Sea oil firm Orcadian Energy says his team is making “great strides” on an 80 million barrel project after casting aside the original development idea.

Orcadian, the new name for Pharis Energy, had intended to tap its 100%-owned Pilot field using a pioneering “steam flood” method.

Steam flooding involves injecting hot water vapour into a well, heating the heavy oil so that it thins, allowing it to flow more freely.

But following the completion of a study by engineering specialist Crondall Energy, Orcadian has decided to ditch the idea.

Privately-owned Orcadian is now looking to use a polymer flood scheme for Pilot and has submitted a concept select report to the Oil and Gas Authority.

Chevron successfully used polymer injection to boost production from the Captain field a few years ago.

Ithaca Energy, the new operator of Captain, sanctioned phase two of the polymer programme, which will require £400 million of investment, last week.

Polymers are added to water to make it thicker and – once introduced to the reservoir — more effective at sweeping oil towards production wells.

Orcadian Energy chief executive Steve Brown said a polymer flood would use up less energy, cost less and emit less carbon dioxide than a steam