Columbus was discovered by the Serica-operated 23/16f-11 well in 2006. The producing reservoir is the Palaeocene Forties Sandstone Formation, with the hydrocarbons being trapped by a stratigraphic pinch-out. Serica has mapped the extent of the hydrocarbon accumulation using amplitude analysis of 3D seismic data. The field has now been delineated by a further three appraisal wells. Development options include the possibility of tying back directly to the Lomond platform, a solution under discussion with BG requiring the minimum of changes to the existing development plan which has received conditional approval from the Department of Energy and Climate Change.