By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Feb. 25 -- BP PLC began production Feb. 21 from Clair oil field off the UK west of Shetland. Plateau production is expected to be 60,000 b/d of oil and 15 MMcfd of natural gas, the company said.
Oil from the field will move to the Sullom Voe terminal in Shetland through a 105 km, 22-in. pipeline. Gas will move through a 10 km, 6-in. spur to the Magnus enhanced oil recovery trunkline.
Difficult development
Clair, which lies 47 miles west of Shetland in 140 m of water, was long considered "impossible to develop," but now has "an exciting future," said BP Chief Executive for Exploration and Production Tony Hayward.
The reservoir, which covers five license blocks—206/7a, 206/12, 206/8, 206/13a, and 206/9—has an estimated 5 billion bbl of oil in place.
Initial development will access 250 million bbl of oil reserves, BP reported.
"We believe this first phase of production will allow us to unlock more of the Clair reservoir," Hayward said.
Development required investment of £650 million by BP and partners ConocoPhillips 24%, ChevronTexaco 19.4%, Shell 18.7%, and Amerada Hess 9.3%. BP, the operator, holds 28.6%.
The Clair development—the first fixed platform west of the Shetland area—comprises a conventional platform with a fixed steel jacket supporting production and process topsides.
The facilities were installed offshore during summer 2004. BP said installation of the 11,700-tonne topsides by a single lift was one of the heaviest offshore lifts ever carried out on the UK Continental Shelf.