Study targets marginal discoveries off UK

A research center based in Aberdeen and supported by the UK and Scottish governments is seeking low-cost ways to develop marginal oil and gas discoveries on the UK Continental Shelf.

The Oil & Gas Technology Center (OGTC) says its Facility of the Future initiative targets 3.5 billion bbl of reserves.

It “will develop lower-cost, reusable, smart facilities that are operated remotely from onshore control centers,” the OGTC says.

To start the program, Buoyant Production Technologies Ltd., a subsidiary of Crondall Energy, London, will conduct a multipartner study to develop a floating-facility concept that expands capabilities of fixed, normally unattended installations, which are typically used in shallow-water gas fields.