BP PLC (LON:BP.) could sell its stake in a key North Sea oil and gas field to its long-time rival Royal Dutch Shell PLC (LON:RDSB), according media reports.
Shell, which own a 28% stake in the Shearwater field joint venture, is in talks about buying its FTSE 100 peer’s 27.5% share, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
BP is looking to sell off $10bn of non-core assets over this and next year, following its purchase of BHP’s petroleum business for $10.5bn last summer.
In December, Shell revealed that the joint venture partners, which include 44.5%-owner Exxon Mobil, were going to invest in the development of a gas infrastructure hub near Shearwater, which lies about 140 miles east of Aberdeen.
The Shearwater hub is predicted to pump out roughly 400mln cubic feet of gas a day at its peak, or roughly 70,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
Shell and BP are both due to report first-quarter production updates next week, with both expected to be firing on all cylinders.