ENEGI Oil's plan to develop North Sea fields using unmanned buoys has received a boost after two oil services firms agreed to work on the project.

Aim-listed Enegi said AGR Well Services and Frames have joined the consortium it established with ABT Oil and Gas (ABTOG) to develop fields using the buoys.

The company believes it can slash the cost of developing and operating assets using the technology and help to transform the economics of what are classed as marginal fields.

Alan Minty, the former Scotland squash international who is chief executive of Enegi, said AGR and Frames bring a wealth of experience and knowledge that enhances the consortium's ability to deliver marginal field development projects

AGR will provide well engineering and related project management services to the Marginal Field Initiative.

Enegi said Frames is already working closely with ABTOG and another consortium member Kongsberg Maritime to design and deliver offshore utility and process systems that can be operated on a normally unattended basis.

In April, Wood Group, the Aberdeen-based oil services giant, said it had ended talks with Enegi and ABTOG regarding a proposed marginal field development joint venture.

Kongsberg Maritime and the Braemar ACM Shipbroking business joined the marginal field initiative consortium the same month.

Enegi has interests in licences covering areas of the UK North Sea where it thinks the buoy technology could be used effectively.