West Franklin

West Franklin is a gas and condensate field to the west of the Franklin Field. The discovery was made in 2003 below a depth of 5,750m (vertical depth).

The potential of West Franklin, thought to be the deepest commercial hydrocarbon accumulation in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), reinforces our strategy to apply selective criteria to exploration prospects in this area of the UKCS – specifically to work with partners and use their expertise to search for new reserves in the technically and financially challenging HP/HT environment of the Central North Sea.

West Franklin will be developed with two wells, one being a workover of an existing well, the other a new deviated well from Franklin wellhead platform.  First production from West Franklin was achieved in September 2007 from the F7Z well. A second well. the WFB, will be brought onstream in 2008.

The production from the West Franklin field is commingled with Franklin production and sent via the interfield bundle to the Elgin PUQ platform for processing, metering and export.