BP has informed that the production has started from Quad 204 project in the west of Shetland region, offshore UK.

BP announced the first oil from the redeveloped Schiehallion Area on behalf of co-venturers Shell and Siccar Point Energy.

Schiehallion and the adjacent Loyal fields were first developed in the mid-1990s and have produced nearly 400 million barrels of oil since production started in 1998. With the fields’ redevelopment through the Quad 204 project, BP and co-venturers expect to unlock a further estimated 450 million barrels of resources, extending the life of the fields out to 2035 and beyond.

The project has included the construction and installation of the harsh water floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, the Glen Lyon, a major upgrade and replacement of subsea facilities and a continuous drilling programme of up to 20 new wells to enable the full development of the reserves, BP said.

Bob Dudley, BP chief executive, said: “The start of production from Quad 204 - one of the largest recent investments in the UK - is an important milestone for BP, marking a return to growth for our North Sea business. As one of the series of important, higher-margin major projects that are now steadily coming on line for BP, it also underpins our expectation for growing production and cash flows from our Upstream business over the coming few years.”