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development phase and the project team adopted the
mantra “Safety First” from the very start of the project.
The huge development involved three different fields:
Golden Eagle, Peregrine and Solitaire. Golden Eagle
itself was discovered in 2007 and Peregrine in 2008.
Solitaire, although discovered in 2001, was acquired
by Nexen and co-venture participants in 2010. Overall,
production volumes of around 140 million bbls are
currently expected over the lifetime of the development.
The Field Development Plan (FDP) for Golden Eagle
was approved by DECC in October 2011, followed by
Solitaire the subsequent year.
Many of the project teammembers had undertaken key
roles in Nexen’s Buzzard development, which produced
first oil in 2007 and is currently the biggest producing
field on the UKCS. Together, they brought their
experience and skills – along with substantial learnings
from Buzzard – to Golden Eagle.
One of the project team’s early priorities was to
establish a high level of visibility within all facets of the
Golden Eagle supply chain.
Graham Swan, major projects director at Nexen,
explains: “Nexen wanted to make certain that every
company involved – large or small – had a clear
understanding of how they fitted into the overall
project. A key focus of early discussions was to cultivate
alignment of the behaviours and values expected by all
parties involved.
“This proved to be an excellent way in setting the
correct tone to embark upon this huge mission and gave
all partners the opportunity to fully understand how
their contribution mattered in successfully delivering
the project.”
The project team ensured they remained visible
throughout the development phase. They followed the
project’s centre of gravity, fromblueprints to fabrication
yards to the flotel.
A World Record
The wellhead and production, utilities and quarters
(PUQ) decks were fabricated by Lamprell in Dubai, with
the accommodation and helideck built by SLP at their
yard in Lowestoft.
The Golden Eagle platform and drilling rigs during the development phase