Chevron is to significantly boost output from its large North Sea Alba oil field by investing GBP 141 million in opening up a major extension, known as Alba Extreme South. It will be developed in two stages using subsea production systems linked by underwater control umbilicals and pipelines to the existing Alba Northern oil platform. Phase one will commence later this year and will be completed during 2002, while phase two is likely to kick-off next year and reach completion in 2003. Alba’s daily production will be boosted by 25,000 barrels per day to about 90,000 in 2003. Chevron has just gone out to consultation on the project, with a detailed environmental impact statement, but the company envisages few problems getting it through. “A considerable body of data is available on the seabed environment throughout the Alba and neighbouring Britannia field areas, which has been collected by Chevron since 1991,” claims the statement. “This includes baseline and follow-up environmental monitoring surveys of the seabed soils and animals, regular surveys of the [drill] cuttings pile beneath Alba Northern Platform, and surveys at previous well sites and along the existing pipeline route.”
