NORTH Sea focused Independent Oil & gas has said it is making good progress with plans to bring its first fields into production after winning a licence that will give it access to more gas.

London-based Independent was awarded a block that contains part of a discovery and three prospects in the supplementary licensing round that was completed recently.

The block is adjacent to the Vulcan satellite fields that Independent plans to link to the Thames Pipeline which it expects to bring back into use. It includes the western part of the Vulcan North West discovery, which Independent bought into last year.

Independent’s chief executive Mark Routh noted the development work on other assets in the Southern North Sea has been going well.

The company expects to submit a field development plan for the Blythe/Elgood hub to the authorities very soon. The development plan for the Vulcan Satellites should be completed in the third quarter.