Repsol Sinopec Resources UK Limited announced that the Golden Eagle, Piper and Claymore field owners have executed new agreements reaffirming their commitment to export produced oil to the Flotta Terminal until end of field life in the 2030s.

This commitment to support the longevity of the terminal underpins a variety of growth opportunities in the wider area, including renewed drilling and several third party tie-backs. All field owners have recently completed successful drilling programmes to increase production volumes and are actively engaged with a number of third parties that are considering the use of the offshore facilities.

Repsol Sinopec, along with its partners, is also exploring the opportunity to develop an industrial scale hydrogen hub on the island of Flotta. It would utilise a repurposed area of the existing terminal to create a green hydrogen hub powered by offshore wind projects in the seas to the west of Orkney; coexisting with oil and gas operations for a number of years.

José Luis Muñoz, Repsol Sinopec’s CEO said:

“The Flotta Terminal has been in operation since 1976 and has made a significant contribution to Orkney’s economy and communities for more than 40 years. The renewed commitment from the Golden Eagle, Piper and Claymore field owners highlights confidence in the Flotta Terminal and wider Flotta Catchment Area. It is our objective to continue to produce and develop existing and new field reserves in line with the North Sea Transition Authority’s MER strategy and with Net Zero ambitions front and centre of our minds.”

About Piper

The Piper field is located in block 15/17n of the United Kingdom Continental Shelf located 193km north east of Aberdeen in the Central North Sea. The Piper 'B' platform stands in approximately 145m of water. The Piper 'B' platform is an eight-legged fixed steel jacket supported platform which was installed in 1992 and commenced production in February 1993. Piper 'B's process facilities separate production from the Piper and Tweedsmuir reservoirs into oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs) and dry gas. The platform processes oil and condensate for onward transmission to Flotta Terminal.

About Claymore

The Claymore field is located in block 14/19n of the United Kingdom Continental Shelf located 161 km north east of Aberdeen in the Central North Sea. It stands in approximately 110m of water. The Claymore complex contains two fixed steel bridge-linked platforms, the Claymore Production Platform (CPP) and Claymore Accommodation Platform (CAP). The CPP, weighing approximately 36,000 tonnes, sits on a conventional eight-legged steel jacket and provides process and drilling facilities. The CAP is much smaller at around 8,000 tonnes, and provides accommodation and utilities for staff, and the helideck. The platforms are linked by a 106-meter bridge. Design work on the platform started in 1974 after the field was discovered in May of that year. The Claymore Production Platform was installed in 1976 with first production from the Claymore field commencing in November 1977 and the Claymore Accommodation Platform was installed in 1995. Additionally, the Scapa field was developed as a subsea tie-back to the Claymore platform in 1982.

About Golden Eagle

The Golden Eagle field is located in block 20/1N h and has been transporting fluids to the Flotta Terminal since 2012. It is located in the Flotta Catchment Area around 70 miles north-east of Aberdeen. The nearby Peregrine field and Solitaire field also form part of the Golden Eagle Area Development.

About Repsol Sinopec

Repsol Sinopec Resources UK is an oil and gas exploration and production company operating in the North Sea.

The company is a joint venture between Repsol and Addax Petroleum UK Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec Group). It arose from the acquisition, in 2015, by Repsol, of the global assets of the former Talisman Energy Inc, including its 51% equity interest in the joint venture, previously called Talisman Sinopec Energy UK.