Northern on track

Northern Petroleum brought two gas fields in Holland on stream during 2009, which boosted production from 367 barrels of oil equivalent per day at the start of the year to 1,320 barrels at the year-end. Development of two further Dutch gas fields is progressing to plan and the company remains on track to bring these into production in 2010, which should lift daily production to over 1,750 barrels.

Northern has completed seismic surveys in Italy as a precursor to drilling, although it might demonstrate value before then by completing a "farm in" by a major oil partner. Proved and probable reserves increased 35 per cent in 2009 to 103m barrels of oil equivalent and the company hopes to increase that further by participating in drilling up to six wells over the next 12 months.