Ithaca Energy’s Stella field in the UK North Sea is still expected to start production in November 2016.

Providing an operational update Ithaca on Thursday said that the hook-up and commissioning operations of the production facility FPF-1 were progressing to plan.

To remind, the FPF-1 set sail from a yard in Poland in August, and was then towed to the field moored on location and the dynamic ri

sers and umbilical connecting the subsea infrastructure to the vessel installed.

Ithaca now says that Technip is working to conclude the remaining subsea commissioning works.

At the same time, Ithaca added, prior to the FPF-1 offshore commissioning program is on-going, with the preparation of the topsides processing and utility systems for the introduction of hydrocarbons underway.

“The scheduled completion of these activities remains in line with previous guidance, with first hydrocarbons from the Stella field anticipated in November 2016,” Ithaca said.

Also, the company said, progress has been made on the installation of the oil export pipeline from the FPF-1 to the Norpipe system, making the switch from tanker loading to oil pipeline exports for the Greater Stella Area in 2017.

The 44-kilometer spurline from the FPF-1 to the Norpipe system was successfully installed as planned in September 2016. The key remaining activities to be completed are the construction and installation of pipeline export pumps on the FPF-1 and the final subsea connections that need undertaking before the switchover, the company concluded.