Content deleted Content added
Mearns1952 (talk | contribs) |
m Dating maintenance tags: {{Clarification needed}} {{Cite needed}} |
||
| (31 intermediate revisions by 19 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{Short description|Oilfield in Shetland, Scotland}}
{{Refimprove|date=December 2009}}▼
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox oilfield
| name = Cormorant oilfield
| location_map = North Sea
| location_map_width =
| location_map_text =
| coordinates = {{coord|61|06|9|N|1|4|22|E|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_ref =
| relief = yes
| country = [[Scotland]], United Kingdom
| region = Shetland basin
| location =
| block = 211/26a
| offonshore = Offshore
| operator = [[Abu Dhabi National Energy Company|TAQA Bratani]]
| partners =
| image =
| caption =
| discovery = September 1972
| start_development =
| start_production = 1979
| peak_year = 1979
| abandonment =
| oil_production_bbl/d =
| oil_production_tpy =
| production_year_oil =
| production_gas_mmcuft/d =
| production_gas_mmscm/d =
Line 34 ⟶ 37:
| formations =
}}
The '''Cormorant oilfield''' is located {{convert|161|km}} north east of [[Lerwick]], [[Shetland Islands|Shetland]], [[Scotland]]
==
The Cormorant oilfield is located {{convert|161|km}} north east of [[Lerwick]], [[Shetland Islands|Shetland]], [[Scotland]], in block number 211/26a. It was discovered in September 1972 at a depth of {{Convert|150|m|ft}}. Estimated recovery is {{Convert|90|Moilbbl}} of oil. The oil reservoir is located at a depth of {{Convert|2895|m|ft}}. The discovery well, 211/26-1 was drilled by semi submersible rig Staflo.
Originally, it was operated by [[Royal Dutch Shell|Shell]] and licensed to Shell/[[ExxonMobil|Esso]]. On 7 July 2008, it was purchased by [[Abu Dhabi National Energy Company]].<ref name=albawaba070708>▼
▲Originally, it was operated by [[Royal Dutch Shell|Shell]] and licensed to Shell/[[ExxonMobil|Esso]].
{{Cite news
| title = Abu Dhabi national energy company pjsc (taqa) agrees to purchase north sea assets from shell u.k. ltd and esso exploration and production u.k. ltd
Line 43 ⟶ 48:
| date = 2008-07-07
| url= http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/UAE/231277
|
</ref><ref name="reuters070708">
{{Cite news
| title = Abu Dhabi's Taqa buys Shell, Exxon North Sea interests
Line 51 ⟶ 56:
| date = 2008-07-07
| url= http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKL0772280320080707?sp=true
|
</ref>
==Production==
Production operates from two Cormorant platforms. Details of the construction are given in the table.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Department of Trade and Industry |title=The Energy Report |publisher=HMSO |year=1994 |isbn=0115153802 |location=London |pages=141}}</ref>
Production started in December 1979 from the [[Cormorant Alpha]] platform. This platform is a concrete gravity platform of the Sea Tank Co type. It has four legs and storage capacity for {{Convert|1|Moilbbl|m3}} of oil. The total sub-structure weight is 294,655 tonnes and it is designed to carry a topsides weight of 32,350 tonnes.▼
{| class="wikitable"
|+Cormorant platforms – construction
!Installation
!Fabrication contractor
!Site
!Type
!Installation date
|-
|North Cormorant
|Redpath de Groot Caledonian, Union Industriellee et d'Enterprise
|[[Methil]]
|Steel jacket
|July 1985
|-
|South Cormorant (Cormorant Alpha)
|McAlpine / Sea Tank
|[[Ardyne Point]]
|Concrete
|May 1978
|}
In addition, an [[Underwater Manifold Centre]] (controlled from the Cormorant platform) also produces oil. This started up in mid 1983. It has a design capacity for {{Convert|50000|oilbbl/d|m3/d}}. The UMC lost communications several years ago, but a project {{As of|2006|alt=ongoing in 2006}} is looking to produce from the UMC once again. Also a single satellite well (P1) is linked to the platform with a design capacity of {{Convert|10000|oilbbl/d|m3/d}}.▼
===Cormorant Alpha===
▲Production started in December 1979 from the
The topsides facilities included capability to drill, produce, meter and pump oil. It also has capability to re-inject water to maintain reservoir pressure. Peak production was {{Convert|24000|oilbbl/d|m3/d}} in 1979. The platform is also the starting point for the [[Brent System]] pipeline, a major communications centre and the location of [[Brent Log]] - air traffic control for Northern North Sea helicopter traffic.
The topsides for Cormorant Alpha were designed by Matthew Hall Engineering, which was awarded the contract in October 1974.<ref name=":0">Matthew Hall Engineering publicity brochure n.d. but c. 1990</ref> Initially there were facilities for 17 oil production wells, 18 water injection wells and one gas injection well. The production capacity was 60,000 [[Barrel (unit)|barrels]] of oil per day and 900,000 standard cubic metres of gas per day. There was a single production train of three stages of separation with the first stage operating at a pressure of 30 [[Bar (unit)|barg]]. The 16 subsea storage cells had a capacity of 600,000 barrels. Electricity generation was powered by one 12 MW [[Rolls-Royce Avon]] gas turbine and four 2.5 MW Solar Mars gas turbines. The topside accommodation was for 200 people. There are 16 topsides modules and the topsides weight was 25,000 tonnes.<ref name=":0" />
▲In addition an [[Underwater Manifold Centre]] (controlled from the Cormorant platform also produces oil. This started up in mid 1983. It has a design capacity for {{Convert|50000|oilbbl/d|m3/d}}. The UMC lost communications several years ago but a project ongoing in 2006 is looking to produce from the UMC once again. Also a single satellite well (P1) is linked to the platform with a design capacity of {{Convert|10000|oilbbl/d|m3/d}}.
Natural gas is exported from Cormorant Alpha via the [[Vesterled]] gas pipeline which connect into the [[FLAGS]] pipeline at [[Brent Alpha]] to [[St Fergus Gas Terminal]].
==Accidents==
A Norwegian organisation states that the Cormorant A platform almost sank in 1977 during its construction in Norway.{{cite needed|date=June 2024}}{{clarification needed|reason=Elsewhere in this article we state this platform was built at Ardyne Point, which is in Scotland not Norway|date=June 2024}} This was disputed in a TV documentary on 7 May 2007.{{cite needed|date=June 2024}}
An explosion on 3 March 1983<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/03/03/A-fiery-explosion-rocked-a-North-Sea-oil-rig/2506415515600/|title=A fiery explosion rocked a North Sea oil rig|date=3 March 1983|publisher=United Press International, Inc|access-date=26 October 2023|archive-date=13 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613040605/https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/03/03/A-fiery-explosion-rocked-a-North-Sea-oil-rig/2506415515600/|url-status=live}}</ref> killed two people outright and another died of burns later in hospital.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}} The Cormorant Alpha crew waited inside the safe accommodation area for 2–3 days while the weather remained too bad for general helicopter evacuations, and eventually stood down and back to work a week or so later.{{citation needed|date=April 2018}}
On 16 January 2013 and again on 2 March 2013, a hydrocarbon leak in one of the legs of the platform was reported. Personnel were evacuated from the platform and the [[Brent System]] was closed down, however no oil had been spilt into the sea.<ref name=reuters030313>
{{cite news
|
| url= http://uk.reuters.com/article
| title = UK Brent oil system still shut after Cormorant leak
| date = 2013-03-03
|
</ref>
==See also==
* [[Energy policy of the United Kingdom]]
* [[Energy use and conservation in the United Kingdom]]
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cormorant Oilfield}}
[[Category:North Sea
[[Category:Oil and gas industry in Shetland]]
[[Category:Oil fields of Scotland]]
| |||