One of the North Sey’s key oil fields is to shut down for four times as long as previously expected, it has emerged.
The Buzzard field, which feeds the North Sea Forties pipeline, had been expected to be shut in for a fortnight this year for maintenance.
But now it has emerged the field, operated by Chinese National Offshore Oil Corporation’s Nexen arm, will face nine weeks of maintenance in 2014.
The field will be shut in for two weeks in May, followed by four in August and a further three in September, partner Suncor has revealed.
The extra maintenance requirements have taken analysts by surprise, and come after shutdowns last August hit UK production in 2013 by more than 8%.
“It’s approximate in terms of date – the (nine weeks) duration is based on the information we have been provided and the estimated crude impact would be net to Suncor,” Sneh Seetal, a spokeswoman for Suncor, said.
The field, 100km north-east of Aberdeen, produces around 160,000 barrels of oil per day at peak output.