EnQuest: Kraken FPSO to Sail for North Seas

EnQuest PLC stated that following good progress on commissioning the water systems, the Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, Armada Kraken for the Kraken field development, is expected to sail away in the coming days, from deep water anchorage off the coast of Singapore, for the North Sea. The journey should complete around mid-January 2017. The Kraken development project remains on course to deliver first oil in H1 2017.  Meanwhile drilling is progressing to plan at Drill Centre Two following completion of Drill Centre One.

Scolty/Crathes First Oil
Following the successful drilling of the Scolty and Crathes wells in Q2 2016 and subsequent full completion of subsea and topsides scopes, including commissioning of the integrated system the Scolty/Crathes development is proceeding ahead of the schedule previously indicated, the first production wing valve is now open and the first well is flowing.

EnQuest therefore confirms the delivery of first oil from the Scolty/Crathes development ahead of schedule and under budget, approximately a year after the Field Development Plan ('FDP') was approved and the project was sanctioned. This was the only offshore pure oil FDP approval in the UK North Sea in 2015. Unit operating costs are expected to be under $15/bbl in the initial peak volume years and production is anticipated to continue until 2025.

2016 Production

EnQuest has been informed that the third party maintenance shutdown of the Brent Pipeline System ('BPS') may commence this week, for approximately three weeks, which would be a longer shutdown and later start date than previously anticipated. The Thistle and Dons fields would therefore also be fully shutdown for the entire BPS maintenance period as well as an additional short period either side, for ramp-down and ramp-up.

Average production for the ten months to the end of October was 40,857 Boepd, up 25% on the same period in 2015. This production reflects the successful planned maintenance shutdowns on Kittiwake and on PM8/Seligi in H2 2016, which are both now complete. Production at the end of the year is expected to benefit from the Scolty/Crathes development coming on stream and from the new production well K7 coming on line at Alma/Galia.

Taking into account the impact of the extended third party shutdown of the Brent Pipeline System, EnQuest would anticipate average daily full year 2016 production to be broadly around the average daily production level delivered to the end of October of 40,857 Boepd, and below its prior guidance of between 42,000 and 44,000 Boepd. Such an extended maintenance shutdown would not be expected to have an impact on the recovery of reserves as the reduced December 2016 production would be moved to later periods. Accordingly there would be no significant impact expected on the Company's assets and liabilities, financial position, profits and losses, or prospects.