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Petrofac News 1700X397
18 January 2005

Petrofac to take over management of a further two North Sea platforms

Petrofac, the oil & gas facilities Service Operator, will take over responsibility for the  management of the Thistle and Heather platforms for Lundin Britain Limited (“Lundin Britain”).

Lundin Britain as licence operator for the Heather, Thistle and Broom fields, has entered  into an alliance with Petrofac, the independent Service Operator, to manage these  facilities.  The contract, worth in excess of $250m, is for the life of field.

On completion of a transition process, Petrofac will be responsible, as Facilities Manager and Safety Case Holder, for the fields’ production and maintenance operations. Petrofac  will employ the majority of the offshore staff, and a significant proportion of the onshore  operations support group. Petrofac will also continue to perform engineering design & construction services for these facilities under a prior arrangement with Lundin Britain.

It is anticipated that Petrofac will take over responsibility for operations on the Heather and Thistle fields in the second quarter of 2005. The Thistle and Heather platforms will become another part of Petrofac’s established portfolio of managed facilities in the UK sector of the North Sea. The company also  manages the Northern Producer, (Galley field), Montrose, Arbroath, Kittiwake, Hewett &  Bacton Terminal facilities. Petrofac also supports the operation of around 20 other fields  in the North Sea for a number of clients, bringing a wealth of experience to these  successful operations.

Jim Atack, Managing Director, Petrofac Facilities Management Europe, said: “These mature  North Sea fields still have a long way to go.  We are only half way through the production potential of the North Sea. Tiebacks like Broom (to Heather) demonstrate the need to keep the established infrastructure running and available to the smaller 3 rd generation fields. We will be using the competence, knowledge and management systems we have  developed over the past 20 years to achieve the maximum possible recovery from the Heather, Thistle and Broom fields.

“We are an ambitious company which strives to maintain its position as the first choice provider of operations management, maintenance, engineering and construction services to the oil, gas and petrochemical industries worldwide.”