FDP sanction was received from Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) in May 2008 and the project is currently in the execution phase. The field is being developed with two horizontal producers and one water injector. A third producer is envisaged for a second development phase. The wells will be tied back to the Northern Producer FPO and processed fluids will be exported initially using shuttle tankers and eventually into the Brent system via Thistle.

Refurbishment of the Northern Producer is well advanced, and the first phase of subsea installation was successfully completed in early August 2008. The first development well was spudded on 27 August 2008 with the semi-sub Transocean John Shaw. The Operator Petrofac Energy Developments Limited targets first production in Q1 2009. Reserves net to First Oil are estimated at 4.2 million barrels and our investment in the project will be over £36 million.