North Sea Field Development: Historic Costs and Future Trends

1986 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.A. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Future Trends ◽  
Field Development

The Clipper Field, Blocks 48/19a, 48/19c, UK North Sea

2003 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 691-698
Author(s):  
M. J. Sarginson
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Upper Permian ◽  
Lower Permian ◽  
Reservoir Properties ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Matrix Permeability ◽  
Recoverable Reserves ◽  
Reservoir Permeability ◽  
Sandstone Formation

AbstractThe Clipper Gas Field is a moderate-sized faulted anticlinal trap located in Blocks 48/19a, 48/19c and 48/20a within the Sole Pit area of the southern North Sea Gas Basin. The reservoir is formed by the Lower Permian Leman Sandstone Formation, lying between truncated Westphalian Coal Measures and the Upper Permian evaporitic Zechstein Group which form source and seal respectively. Reservoir permeability is very low, mainly as a result of compaction and diagenesis which accompanied deep burial of the Sole Pit Trough, a sub basin within the main gas basin. The Leman Sandstone Formation is on average about 715 ft thick, laterally heterogeneous and zoned vertically with the best reservoir properties located in the middle of the formation. Porosity is fair with a field average of 11.1%. Matrix permeability, however, is less than one millidarcy on average. Well productivity depends on intersecting open natural fractures or permeable streaks within aeolian dune slipface sandstones. Field development started in 1988. 24 development wells have been drilled to date. Expected recoverable reserves are 753 BCF.

The Britannia Field, Blocks 15/29, 15/30, 16/26 and 16/27, UK North Sea

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 664-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Camm ◽  
L. E. Armstrong ◽  
A. Patel
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Lower Cretaceous ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Infill Drilling ◽  
To Come ◽  
The Uk

AbstractThe Lower Cretaceous Britannia Field development is one of the largest and most significant undertaken on the UK Continental Shelf. Production started in 1998 via 17 pre-drilled development wells and was followed by a decade of intensive drilling, whereby a further 40 wells were added. In 2000 Britannia's plateau production of 800 MMscfgd supplied 8% of the UK's domestic gas requirements.As the field has matured, so too has its development strategy. Initial near-field development drilling targeting optimal reservoir thickness was followed by extended reach wells into the stratigraphic pinchout region. In 2014 a further strategy shift was made, moving from infill drilling to a long-term compression project to maximize existing production. During its 20-year history the Britannia Platform has undergone numerous changes. In addition to compression, production from five satellite fields has been routed through the facility: Caledonia (2003), Callanish and Brodgar (2008), Enochdhu (2015) and Alder (2016). A new field, Finlaggan, is due to be brought through Britannia's facilities in 2020, helping to maximize value from the asset for years to come.As Britannia marks 20 years of production it has produced c. 600 MMboe – surpassing the original ultimate recoverable estimate of c. 570 MMboe – and is still going strong today.

The Alma (formerly Argyll/Ardmore) Field, Blocks 30/24 and 30/25a, UK North Sea

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 360-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Longxun Tang ◽  
Jon G. Gluyas ◽  
Stuart Jones ◽  
Bernard Besly
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Total Production ◽  
Western Margin ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Three Phases

AbstractThe Alma Field (formerly Argyll and then Ardmore) is located within Blocks 30/24 and 30/25 on the western margin of the Central Graben. Hamilton drilled the first discovery well 30/24-1 in 1969 and the field, named ‘Argyll’, became the first UK offshore oilfield when production commenced in 1975. Oil was produced from the Devonian Buchan Formation, Permian Rotliegend and Zechstein groups, and Jurassic Fulmar Formation from 1976 until 1992, when the field was abandoned for economic reasons. In 2002, Tuscan Energy and Acorn Oil & Gas redeveloped the field and renamed it as ‘Ardmore’. A further 5 MMbbl were produced until 2005, when the field was again abandoned due to commercial considerations. In 2011, EnQuest was awarded the licence to redevelop the field and renamed it as ‘Alma’. The field came on stream in October 2015 and has produced oil at an average c. 6000 bopd since start-up.Total ultimate recovery was expected to be about 100 MMbbl. As of end 2005, the field had produced 72.6 MMbbl as Argyll and 5 MMbbl as Ardmore. A further 4.3 MMbbl has been produced from the Alma Field to September 2017 (which includes about 0.5 MMbbl from a long-reach well drilled into the Duncan/Galia Field immediately west of Alma). In January 2020 EnQuest announced that the Alma Field would cease production early. The total production from the three phases of field development will be about 85 MMbbl of oil.

The Hewett Field, Blocks 48/28a, 48/29a, 48/30a, 52/4a and 52/5a, UK North Sea

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Hook
Keyword(s):  
Fault Zone ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Structural Evolution ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Southern North Sea ◽  
Sandstone Formation ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Basin Margin ◽  
Sour Gas

AbstractThe Hewett Field has been in production for some 50 years. Unusually for a Southern North Sea field in the UK Sector, there has been production from several different reservoirs and almost entirely from intervals younger than the principal Leman Sandstone Formation (LSF) reservoir in the basin. Some of these reservoirs are particular to the Hewett area. This reflects the location of the field at the basin margin bound by the Dowsing Fault Zone, which has influenced structural evolution, deposition and the migration of hydrocarbons. The principal reservoirs are the Permo-Triassic Hewett Sandstone (Lower Bunter), Triassic Bunter Sandstone Formation (BSF) (Upper Bunter) and Permian Zechsteinkalk Formation. There has also been minor production from the Permian Plattendolomit Formation and the LSF. Sour gas is present in the BSF only. Several phases of field development are recognized, ultimately comprising three wellhead platforms with production from 35 wells. Gas is exported onshore to Bacton, where the sour gas was also processed. Peak production was in 1976 and c. 3.5 tcf of gas has been recovered. Hewett has also provided the hub for six satellite fields which have produced a further 0.9 tcf of gas. It is expected that the asset will cease production in 2020.

The Gawain Field, Blocks 49/24, 49/29a, UK North Sea

2003 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 713-722
Author(s):  
R. A. Osbon ◽  
O. C. Werngren ◽  
A. Kyei ◽  
D. Manley ◽  
J. Six
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Early Permian ◽  
Water Contact ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Dune Sands ◽  
Southern North Sea ◽  
Recoverable Reserves ◽  
Structural Relief ◽  
Sandstone Formation

AbstractThe Gawain Field is located on the Inde shelf in the Southern North Sea, 85 km NE of the Norfolk coast. Gawain was discovered in 1970 by well 49/29-1 and a total of nine wells have been drilled on the structure. Gas is produced from the Leman Sandstone Formation of Early Permian age. The reservoir section is comprised predominantly of stacked aeolian dune sands possessing excellent poroperm characteristics. The structure is a complex NW-SE trending horst block with a common gas-water contact at 8904 ft TVDss. Low structural relief has presented a major challenge to field development, which has utilized extended reach wells to maximize drainage potential. Initial gas-in-place is estimated at 289 BCF with recoverable reserves in the order of 196 BCF. The field came on production in September 1995 via a sub-sea tie back to the Thames infrastructure and has an expected field life of 10 years

Ravenspurn South Field, Blocks 42/29, 42/30, 43/26, UK North Sea

1991 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 469-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. D. Heinrich
Keyword(s):  
North Sea ◽  
Reservoir Quality ◽  
Desert Environment ◽  
Gas Field ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Southern North Sea ◽  
Fluvial Processes ◽  
Sandstone Formation ◽  
Aeolian Sands

AbstractThe Ravenspurn South Gas Field is located in the Sole Pit Basin of the Southern North Sea in UKCS Block 42/30, extending into Blocks 42/29 and 43/26. The gas is trapped in sandstones of the Permian Lower Leman Sandstone Formation, which was deposited by aeolian and fluvial processes in a desert environment. Reservoir quality is poor, and variations are mostly facies-controlled. The best reservoir quality occurs in aeolian sands wth porosities of up to 23% and permeabilities up to 90 md. The trap is a NW-SE-striking faulted anticline: top seal is provided by the Silverpit Shales directly overlying the reservoir, and by Zechstein halites. Field development began early in 1988 and first gas was delivered in October 1989. Production is in tandem with the Cleeton Field, about 5 miles southwest of Ravenspurn South, as the Villages project. Initial reserves are 700 BCF and field life is expected to be 20 years.

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