F3-FA was a challenging, marginally economic field with uncertain reserves located in the Dutch Sector. When ADIL initially engaged with the client, the project concept was a conventional subsea tieback.

ADIL worked with the client to link both the development solution and the business strategy, and originated a new concept for F3-FA which was based on a self-installing normally unmanned platform – the largest of its type in the North Sea. This concept additionally benefitted from the more favourable tax treatment of a moveable structure compared with that of a fixed structure.

• ADIL was initially asked to provide a Development Concept Evaluation and Scope of Work for FEED
• ADIL identified and evaluated an alternative development concept which was subsequently demonstrated to be far more attractive than that originally proposed
• ADIL subsequently undertook project economics and prepared the Decision Support Package for EDP in order to assist them to proceed with the acquisition and take the Development from Concept Select to Define (FEED); throughout this period, license conditions imposed considerable time pressure.
• ADIL identified a concept that managed the reserves risk, negated abandonment costs and optimised the tax treatment to thus produce a technically viable and economic development concept.

• ADIL was able to turn a marginal opportunity with limited potential to proceed to execute into a profitable development; Venture bought EDP’s equity in F3-FA; first gas was achieved from F3-FA in January 2011
• The field was subsequently successfully developed using the concept proposed by ADIL; the topsides facilities comprised full separation, gas drying, processing and compression facilities; gas export was via the nearby Hanze field and thereby into the NOGAT pipeline to the NAM-operated Den Helder plant
• F3-FA is powerful an example of ADIL’s ability to work closely with the client to allow the development of an initially marginal field via the application of an innovative concept; ADIL’s recommended solution managed the reserves risk, negated abandonment costs and optimised the tax treatment to thus producing a viable economic concept