Clipper gas field

The Clipper gas field is a major natural gas reservoir and gas production facility in the UK sector of the southern North Sea. The field is located about 73 km north-north-east of Bacton, Norfolk; the Clipper production facility has operated since 1990.

Clipper gas field
CountryUnited Kingdom
RegionNorth Sea
Location/blocks48/19a
Offshore/onshoreOffshore
Coordinates53.460278N 1.732222E
OperatorsShell
OwnerShell/Exxon
Field history
DiscoveryMarch 1968
Start of production1990
Production
Recoverable gas22.5×10^9 m3 (790×10^9 cu ft)
Producing formationsLower Permian Leman Sandstone

The fields

The Clipper field was discovered by Shell in March 1968 in Block 48/19a, part of the Sole Pit area. The gas reservoir is a Lower Permian Leman Sandstone Formation. The field is jointly owned by ESSO E&P UK Ltd (50 %) and Shell UK Ltd (50 %).[1] The field was anticipated to have recoverable reserves of 22.5 billion cubic metres (bcm).[1]

In addition to Clipper, the adjacent fields produced natural gas to the Clipper facility.[1] [2]

Clipper area fields
Field Block Date discovered Reserves, bcm (note 1) Original owner Owner / operator in 2014
Clipper 48/19a March 1968 22.5 Shell/Exxon Shell
Barque 48/13a December 1966 37.3 Shell/Exxon Shell
Barque South 48/13a December 1966 1.0 Shell/Exxon Shell
Galleon 48/14, 48/19a, 48/20a December 1975 40.40 Shell/Exxon Shell
Cutter 49/9a Shell/Exxon Shell
Carrack 49/14b, 49/15a 15.0 Shell/Exxon Shell
Skiff 48/20a Shell/Exxon Shell
Clipper South 48/19a 1982 13.4 RWE Dea, Fairfield, Bayern Gas Ineos, Spirit Energy

note 1. Reserves are in billion cubic metres (bcm).

The Clipper, Barque, Galleon, Cutter, Carrack, and Skiff fields are named after sailing vessels.

Clipper South was owned by RWE Dea UK (50%), Fairfield Energy (25%), and Bayern Gas (25%). RWE Dea and Fairfield sold their interests to Ineos in 2015. The field is owned by Ineos and Spirit Energy.[3]

Development

The Clipper field was developed by Shell as a central 3-platform bridge linked complex.[4] Three further bridge-linked platforms were added later. In addition to its own gas, Clipper was designed to be a central hub to receive and process well fluids from the surrounding installations. Processed gas was transmitted by pipeline from Clipper to the Bacton Gas Terminal, Norfolk. The main design parameters of the Clipper area installations are summarized in the table.[4] [5] [1] [2]

Clipper area installations
Installation name Block Coordinates Function Water depth, metres Type Production to
Clipper PW 48/19a 53.459167 1.731944 Wellhead 26 Fixed steel Bacton via 45 mile 24” pipeline
Clipper PT 53.460278 1.732222 Production Fixed steel
Clipper PC 53.537633 1.870256 Compression Fixed steel
Clipper PM Metering, compression Fixed steel
Clipper PR Risers Fixed steel
Clipper PH Accommodation
Barque PB 48/13a 53.601667 1.526694 Wellhead and production 22 Fixed steel Clipper via 15 mile 16” pipeline
Barque PL 48/13a 53.571743 1.638452 Wellhead and production 23 Fixed steel
Galleon PM 48/19 53.535667 1.876458 Wellhead and production 28 Fixed steel Clipper
Galleon PN 48/20 53.569622 1.921967 Wellhead and production 28 Fixed steel
Cutter QC 49/9a 53.695609 2.623801 Wellhead and production 35 Fixed steel Carrack QA
Carrack QA 49/14 53.579560 2.792291 Wellhead and production 30 Fixed steel Clipper
Carrack Manifold 49/14b 53.706317 2.867689 Manifold 31 Subsea Carrack QA
Carack East WHPS 49/15a 53.673789 3.027539 Wellhead 31 Subsea Carrack Manifold
Carrack West WHPS 49/14b 53.743256 2.842561 Wellhead 29 Subsea Carrack Manifold
Skiff PS 48/20a 53.589292 1.891197 Wellhead and production 26 Fixed steel Clipper
Clipper South 48/19a 53.446309 1.797583 Wellhead and production Fixed steel Clipper

Gas from Clipper South was originally routed to the ConocoPhillips LOGGS installation thence to Theddlethorpe gas terminal (TGT). When TGT closed in August 2018 a new pipeline was installed to route gas from Clipper South to Clipper.[6]

As part of the Clipper development new pipeline reception facilities and process plant was installed at the Shell terminal at the Bacton gas terminal.

Gas production

Production facilities on the Clipper complex include bulk liquid removal, 5 centrifugal two-stage compression with a capacity of 2 x 200 MMSCFD (million standard cubic feet per day).[4]

Gas production from Clipper and the connected fields is summarised in the table, data includes the peak rate and the cumulative production over the period 1990 to 2014.[5] [1]

Gas Production
Name Production start Peak flow, mcm/y Peak year Cumulative production to 2014
Clipper 1990 1,109 1992 13,876
Barque 1990 2,244 1997 23,067
Barque South 2014 16
Galleon 1994 1,501 1997 19,887
Cutter 2006 466 2008 2,410
Carrack 2003 1,220 2004 6,262
Skiff 2000 1,339 2003 7,828
Clipper South 2012 587 2013 385

The production profile, in mcm/y, of the Clipper field was as shown.[5]


The production profile, in mcm/y, of the Barque field was as shown.[5]

See also

References
  1. Department of Trade and Industry (1994). The Energy Report. London: HMSO. pp. 30, 38, 51, 134. ISBN 0115153802.
  2. "Inventory of Offshore Installations". odims.ospar.org. Archived from the original on 2021-11-25. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  3. "Clipper South gas field". www.offshore-technolog. Archived from the original on 2012-11-18. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  4. Clipper fact sheet Shell 2021
  5. "Oil and Gas UK – Field data". www.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2015-10-27. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  6. "First gas from Clipper South flows to Bacton". www.shell.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2020-09-30. Retrieved 5 December 2021.

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