Wood Mackenzie Consultants Ltd., Edinburgh, says there is so much spare capacity in U.K. North Sea oil pipelines that construction of additional offshore pipelines is unlikely in the short term.
The region's Norpipe, Flotta, Sullom Voe Brent and Ninian, and Beatrice export systems have combined capacity of 3.65 million b/d of oil.
However, this year the five lines are expected to transport only 1.45 million b/d from offshore fields to onshore terminals.
Only the Forties pipeline is operating at full capacity-1 million b/d-with a 15% capacity expansion planned.
The spare capacity offers an opportunity for use in future field development projects. Such projects are generally expected to be much smaller than the fields for which the pipelines were built.
A recently announced project to tie in Fulmar platform to the Norpipe system is expected to extend the producing life of Fulmar area fields. That's because of the lower operating costs of pipeline exports compared with current offshore loading methods.
Gas pipelines
While northern and central North Sea oil developments will have export capacity available, North Sea gas field developments of the future are likely to require new pipelines.
Wood Mackenzie said, "As the potential for U.K. gas production increases by the end of the century, predominantly from new central North Sea fields, operators may require new gas infrastructure, not least because the Central Area Transmission System is likely to be full by the end of the century."
The U.K. is expected to have gas export pipelines to Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Belgium in place by 2000.
The U.K.-Ireland link started up in December 1993, the Northern Ireland link will fuel a power station and enable development of a gas grid in the Belfast area, and the U.K.-Belgium Interconnector is expected to be operational in October 1998.
Wood Mackenzie said the three systems could be able to export almost 2.9 bcfd from mainland U.K. by early next century, with the U.K.-continental Europe interconnector making up 1.94 bcfd of this capacity. If this capacity were fully utilized, it would be equal to 40% of current U.K. gas demand.
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