A major energy company has completed an approximately £20 million investment to boost gas output from its Morecambe Hub in the East Irish Sea.
Spirit Energy said the upgrades could deliver enough additional gas each year to power an extra 130,000 UK homes for one year.
The project is expected to increase production by around 300,000 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) annually.
Neil McCulloch, chief executive of Spirit Energy, said: "We’re playing our part to boost UK energy security by optimising production from our Morecambe Hub.
"In parallel, we’re prolonging the life of the fields and assets to ensure a smooth transition from gas production to carbon storage, as part of our MNZ project.
"Our goal is to create an overlap between producing gas from the Morecambe Hub and storing carbon emissions in the depleted fields.
"We’re demonstrating how energy companies can progress though the energy transition.
"The revenues generated from traditional gas production today will support our transformation into a carbon storage business in the future."
Over the summer, the operations, wells and project teams worked on a campaign to enhance gas production from the DPPA platform’s production wells, in the North Morecambe field.
Work included interventions on five production wells to increase flow rates and productivity.
The company says earlier upgrades to the Central Processing Complex, including compressor improvements, have already boosted output from the South Morecambe field.
The additional investment is part of Spirit Energy’s wider strategy to maximise remaining UK gas reserves while repurposing the fields for future carbon storage.
The Morecambe Net Zero (MNZ) Peak Cluster project aims to convert the North and South Morecambe fields into the UK’s largest offshore carbon store.
The project received a further boost in July with a £28.6 million commitment from the Government's National Wealth Fund.
Spirit Energy is working with Peak Cluster partners, including four cement and lime producers, to develop the site.
Once operational, the company says the MNZ store will be home to 40 per cent of the CO2 emissions associated with UK cement production.
David Whitehouse, chief executive of Offshore Energies UK, said: "At a critical time for our sector, this is a positive investment in British jobs, energy security and the nation’s industrial future.
"All investment in the UK must be welcomed, especially investment in our highly integrated, world-class energy industry and its supply chains and people.
"This is an example of how UK-based firms can strategically build innovative technologies of the future upon the platform of homegrown gas.
"For as long as we need gas, as much as possible must come from UK waters so this industry and its people can continue their invaluable contribution to UK economic value, innovation and growth."
