New gas coming from revitalized North Sea region

June 28 (UPI) -- Getting natural gas delivered on time from a field in the British waters of the North Sea re-establishes the area as a regional hub, a Spanish company said.

Repsol Sinopec Resources U.K. said first gas was developed on schedule from its Cayley field in the central North Sea, the final phase of the company's development from the broader Montrose area in British waters. Installed in 1976, the company said the production gains from the region will extend the life of the entire area.

"We can now look forward to hub production from Montrose for another 15 years," Brian Winton, the regional general manager for Sinopec, said in a statement.

Repsol installed a new facility on the Montrose area last year. The redevelopment plans cover three fields in the North Sea east of Aberdeen. First oil from the area's Shaw field started in May, one year after the new facilities were installed.

Production was closed temporarily in March when the company reported a sheen on the surface of the water near Montrose platforms. The minor release dissipated naturally. French energy company ENGIE reported a minor gas leak on a platform situated in the Norwegian waters of the North Sea earlier this month.

Parts of the North Sea are rebounding somewhat following maturation concerns. British exploration and production company EnQuest said Monday that oil production started from its Kraken field, with up to 50,000 barrels of oil expected.

Sinopec said its overall regional effort is expected to unlock up to 100 million barrels of oil equivalent of additional production.