Frigg gas field

Frigg gas field is a natural gas field on Norwegian block 25/1[1] in the North Sea, on the boundary between the United Kingdom and Norway. The field is named after the goddess Frigg. King Olav V of Norway officially opened production on 8 May 1978. Production was closed on 26 October 2004. The field is situated 230 kilometres (140 mi) northwest of Stavanger. Operator for the field was the French oil company Elf Aquitaine, which merged and changed name to Total S.A.

Frigg gas field
North Sea Oil and Gas Fields
Frigg gas field is located in North Sea
Frigg gas field
Location of Frigg gas field
CountryNorway
RegionNorth Sea
Location/block25/1
Offshore/onshoreOffshore
Coordinates59°52′48.48″N 2°3′59.40″E
OperatorTotal S.A.
Field history
Discovery1971
Start of production8 May 1978
Abandonment26 October 2004
Production
Estimated gas in place6,780×10^9 cu ft (192×10^9 m3)

Operations were regulated according to an agreement between the UK and Norwegian governments called the Frigg Treaty.

Infrastructural changes were made in three phases:

  • Phase I - 1977
  • Phase II - 1978
  • Phase III - 1981

Geology

The field was discovered at a depth of 1,850 metres (6,070 ft) by the Petronord group (Elf Aquitaine, Total Oil Marine Norsk, and Norsk Hydro) and the Norwegian State in 1971 with Well 25/1-1 using the Semi-submersible Neptune P 81 in 100 metres (330 ft) of water.[2] The well was located following interpretation of a 15 by 20 km grid of Reflection seismology lines recorded in 1965.[2] A 5 by 5 km finer grid of seismic lines were recorded in 1969, followed by a 1 by 1 km grid in 1973, combined with four appraisal wells determined the field was 115 square kilometres (44 sq mi) in area with a 170-metre (560 ft) gas column in Lower Eocene sandstones forming an abyssal fan in the Viking Structural basin.[2] The fan structure appears on seismic sections as a low relief Anticline that includes a Flat spot caused by the Density contrast of the gas.[3]

Development

The Frigg field has been developed through a number of offshore platforms.[4]

Frigg installations
Platform Coordinates Function Type Legs Well slots Installed Production start Production to
Frigg DP1 59°52’40”N 02°04’48”E Drilling platform Steel jacket 8 ? October 1974 buoyancy tanks collapsed damaged beyond recovery – –
Frigg CDP1 59°52’31”N 02°03’42”E Drilling, production Concrete gravity 1 24 September 1975 September 1977 TP1
Frigg TP1 59°52’47”N 02°03’51”E Treatment Concrete gravity 2 – June 1976 September 1977 MCP01
Frigg QP 59°52’42”N 02°03’54”E Quarters platform Steel jacket 4 – July 1975 – –
Frigg DP2 59°53’10”N 02°04’21”E Drilling, production Steel jacket 8 24 May 1976 August 1978 TCP2
Frigg TCP2 59°52’48”N 02°04’01”E Treatment, compression Concrete gravity 3 – June 1977 August 1978 MCP01, DP2
Frigg MCP-01 58°49’39”N 00°17’12”E Manifold, compression Concrete gravity 1 – June 1976 September 1977 St Fergus
Frigg flare platform FP 59°52’54”N 02°03’21”E Flare Articulated steel 1 – October 1975 December 1977 From TP1
Frigg NE 59°59’07”N 02°14’52”E Field control station Steel tower, concrete base 6 subsea trees June 1981 December 1983 TCP2


The initial production of gas (in 1000 standard cubic metres) was:[4]

Pipelines


Pipelines associated with the Frigg field are as follows:[4]

Frigg field pipelines
Start Terminal Length Diameter Type
TP1 / TCP2 MCP-01 2 × 186 km 32” Gas
MCP-01 St Fergus 2 × 174 km 32” Gas
CDP1 TP1 2 × 500 m 26” Gas
CDP1 TP1 500 m 4” Condensate
TP1 CDP1 500 m 8” Kill
DP2 TCP2 2 × 700 m 26” Gas
DP2 TCP2 700 m 4” Condensate
TCP2 DP2 700 m 8” Kill
TP1 FP 500 m 24” Gas
TP1 FP 500 m – Gas air pilot
Subsea template TCP2 18 km 16” Gas
TCP2 NEF 18 km 1.25” Methanol
FCS Template 500 feet 2” Kill

Pipelines connected to the Frigg field

Images
  • Bridge from the Frigg field outside the Norwegian Petroleum Museum in Stavanger
    Bridge from the Frigg field outside the Norwegian Petroleum Museum in Stavanger

Future plans

The Frigg field may be revitalised. A production licence on the Norwegian side of Frigg was allocated to Equinor in 2016. An appraisal well was drilled on Frigg in 2019. Equinor also holds the licence rights on the UK side of the field.[5]

References
  1. Heritier et al, 1980, p. 59
  2. Heritier et al, 1980, p. 60
  3. Heritier et al, 1980, p. 65
  4. Oilfield Publications Limited (1985). The North Sea Platform Guide. Ledbury: Oilfield Publications Limited. pp. 223–46.
  5. Gjerde, Kristin Øye. "New life for Frigg gas field?". INDUSTRIMINNE.NO. Norwegian Petroleum Museum.

Bibliography
  • Heritier, F E; Lossel, P; Wathne, E (1980). "Frigg Field-Large Submarine-Fan Trap in Lower Eocene Rocks of the Viking Graben, North Sea". In Halbouty, Michel Thomas (ed.). Giant Oil and Gas Fields of the Decade:1968–1978. AAPG Memoir 30. Tulsa: American Association of Petroleum Geologists. ISBN 0891813063. OCLC 7355859.
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