Wintershall starts Dutch North Sea tight gas flow

March 6, 2012
A group led by Wintershall has started production from K18-Golf field, the company’s first tight gas field in the Netherlands North Sea.

A group led by Wintershall has started production from K18-Golf field, the company’s first tight gas field in the Netherlands North Sea.

Wintershall initially plans to produce 35.3 MMcfd of gas from the Permian Rotliegend formation via one subsea well. A second production well next summer is set to maintain plateau between 35 and 50 MMcfd.

Located in a restricted military zone, K18-Golf had to be developed subsea and within a short time window. Gas is produced via subsea pipeline to the K15-FA platform 10 km north. The gas will be treated there to sales specification before being sent to Den Helder on the Dutch mainland via the Wintershall-operated WGT pipeline network.

The K18-G1 well was drilled 3,750 m vertically and then 1,400 m horizontally. This summer the company will spud the K18-G4 well in the northern part of the field.

Based on the good results of this first tight gas project, Wintershall will focus on the development of more tight gas fields in the Dutch offshore.

Wintershall has a 41.7% interest in K18-Golf. EBN BV has 40%, Nederlandse Aardolie Mij. 15.9%, Tullow Oil PLC 2.2%, and Oranje-Nassau Energie 0.2%. Wintershall was awarded the Block K18 concession in 1983 and discovered the field in 2005.

About the Author

Alan Petzet | Chief Editor Exploration

Alan Petzet is Chief Editor-Exploration of Oil & Gas Journal in Houston. He is editor of the Weekly E&D Newsletter, emailed to OGJ subscribers, and a regular contributor to the OGJ Online subscriber website.

Petzet joined OGJ in 1981 after 13 years in the Tulsa World business-oil department. He was named OGJ Exploration Editor in 1990. A native of Tulsa, he has a BA in journalism from the University of Tulsa.