Phillips begins output in Judy and Joanne fields

Steel platform installed in Judy field recently began handling production from Judy and Joanne fields in the U.K. North Sea for operator Phillips Petroleum Co. U.K. Ltd.

Hydratight's Atlantis bolt flange joint assembly tool is deployed beneath a work class ROV. The system completed shallow water sea trials near Birkenhead, U.K., and is currently being pressure-tested at Aberdeen's Hyperbaric Centre. Hydratight's Atlantis system is the first diverless unit for assembling ANSI and API bolt flange joints on subsea pipelines. It is claimed to save 20% on conventional methods and will be ready for market in fall 1997. Photo courtesy of Hydratight.

Phillips Petroleum Co. U.K. Ltd. has begun oil production from Judy and Joanne fields in the U.K. North Sea, after a delay caused by a dispute over delivery of associated gas.

Meanwhile, Enterprise Oil plc and Marathon Oil U.K. Ltd. have agreed on a development plan for their Sedgwick discovery, through West Brae facilities currently under development.

Judy/Joanne

Judy and Joanne fields were developed with a steel platform in Judy field on Block 30/7 and a subsea satellite development in nearby Joanne. Platform capacity is 95,000 b/d of liquids and 450 MMcfd of gas.

The operator has brought oil production to 25,000 b/d and expects it will average 35,000-40,000 b/d the rest of the year. Gas is being reinjected.

Phillips completed Judy/Joanne development in February 1996 but had to delay start-up, because Enron Europe Ltd., which had signed a contract to take 300 MMcfd of gas, opted to take none until at least September 1999 (OGJ, Sept. 25, 1995, p. 38).

Phillips held back first oil to allow installation of a £50 million ($80 million) gas reinjection module. This will be used to reinject allocated gas until Enron is ready to receive it.

Enron has since instigated several claims against Phillips through English and U.S. courts, including one questioning the operator's rights to reinject its allotted gas.

Enron claimed Phillips was unable to deliver gas as required by the contract, a claim that Phillips set out later to disprove through a facilities test in December 1996.

Enron's decision to refuse to take Judy/Joanne gas from the start of the contract was related to the collapse of gas prices in the U.K. (OGJ, Apr. 15, 1996, p. 31).

Phillips is seeking U.K. court decisions to force Enron to give a date for delivery of first gas from Judy/Joanne and to declare that gas reinjection complies with the sales agreement.

Combined reserves of Judy and Joanne are estimated at 97 million bbl of liquids and 796 bcf of gas. Development cost was £767 million ($1.15 billion).

Phillips is looking to use spare capacity on Judy platform to develop a number of discoveries and prospects in the vicinity (OGJ, June 12, 1995, p. 38).

The company recently announced discovery of Jade, where last year it installed a drilling spacer frame in anticipation of development (OGJ, Mar. 17, 1997, p. 36). A new pool wildcat is currently being drilled on Block 30/13 Jessica prospect.

Judy/Joanne license partners are operator Phillips 36.5%, Agip (U.K.) Ltd. 33%, and BG Exploration & Production Ltd. 30.5%.

Sedgwick

Enterprise's Sedgwick discovery and Marathon's West Brae are to be developed jointly, with output from the combined facilities to be split 67.5% to a Marathon-led group and 32.5% to an Enterprise-led group.

Estimated reserves for the two discoveries are 40 million bbl oil.

A subsea manifold will be installed in West Brae field, and a single well in Sedgwick 2.3 km away will be tied back.

Marathon had already received government approval to develop West Brae as a subsea satellite of its Brae A platform, but a twin development was always envisioned (OGJ, July 22, 1996, p. 29).

First oil is expected in fourth quarter 1997 at a combined initial rate of 30,000 b/d, which is expected to fall to an average 27,000 b/d for 1998.

Combined development cost for West Brae and Sedgwick is £100 million ($160 million). Development drilling is being carried out by Transocean Explorer semisubmersible, which started in April.

Two production wells and a water injector are to be drilled in West Brae, along with the single producer in Sedgwick. Marathon has an option to drill another producer in West Brae.