Eastern Trough Area Project
Encyclopedia
The Eastern Trough Area Project, commonly known as ETAP, is a network of nine smaller oil
and gas
fields in the Central North Sea
covering an area up to 35 km in diameter. There are a total of nine different fields, six operated by BP
and another three operated by Shell
, and together, they are a rich mix of geology, chemistry, technology and equity arrangements.
and Heron, Egret, Skua from Shell
. In 2002, BP
brought Mirren and Madoes on stream. With these nine fields, the total reserves of ETAP are approximately 490 Moilbbl of oil, 35 Moilbbl of natural gas condensate
and 2 Gcuft of natural gas
.
A single central processing facility (CPF) sits over the Marnock field and serves as a hub for all production and operations of the asset including all processing and export and a base for expedition to the Mungo NUI
. The CPF consists of separate platforms for operations and accommodation linked by two 60 m bridges. The Processing, drilling and Riser platform (PdR), contains the process plant and the export lines, a riser area to receive production fluid
s from the other ETAP fields and the wellheads of Marnock. The Quarters and Utilities platform (QU) provides accommodation for up to 117 personnel operating this platform or travelling onwards to the Mungo NUI
. This partitioning of accommodation and operations into two platforms, adds an extra element of safety, a particular concern for the designers coming only a few years after the Cullen report on the Piper Alpha
disaster.
Liquids are exported to Kinneil at Grangemouth
through the Forties pipeline system
. Gas is exported by the Central Area Transmission System
to Teeside.
Apart from Mungo, which has surface wellheads on a NUI, all other fields use subsea tie-backs.
A tenth field, Fidditch, is currently under development by BP. (which has now been put on hold due to the global economic downturn)
pressure of 9000psi. Estimated recoverable reserves are 600 billion scf
and 50 Moilbbl of condensate. Marnock produces directly to surface wellhead
s on the CPF. It is operated by BP
in partnership with Shell
, Esso
and AGIP
.
. It is an oilfield with a natural gas cap. Water and gas injection are used to manage the reservoir
, which necessitated a small normally unmanned installation
be built to support these facilities. The NUI is tied back to the CPF. The field is operated by BP
in partnership with Nippon Oil
, Murphy Oil
and Total S.A.
.
s are fed into the pipelines connecting Mungo to the CPF. The field is operated by BP
in partnership with Nippon Oil
, Murphy Oil
and Total S.A.
.
. It is an oil field in a chalk
reservoir
located on top of a large salt diapir. Originally, the half dozen wells produced under natural depletion but modifications are being made to include the capacity for gas lift
. The field is solely a BP
possession.
structure. The Madoes field is located in UKCS block 22/23 and is named after Saint Madoes. It is a light oil field located in the Eocene
rock. Both are subsea tiebacks to the CPF, with the capacity for gas lift
in the future to aid production. They are both operated by BP
with Nippon Oil
, Shell
, Esso
and AGIP
.
in partnership with Esso
.
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
and gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
fields in the Central North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
covering an area up to 35 km in diameter. There are a total of nine different fields, six operated by BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
and another three operated by Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
, and together, they are a rich mix of geology, chemistry, technology and equity arrangements.
Development
The ETAP complex was sanctioned for development in 1995 with first hydrocarbons produced in 1998. The original development included Marnock, Mungo, Monan and Machar from BPBP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
and Heron, Egret, Skua from Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
. In 2002, BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
brought Mirren and Madoes on stream. With these nine fields, the total reserves of ETAP are approximately 490 Moilbbl of oil, 35 Moilbbl of natural gas condensate
Natural gas condensate
Natural-gas condensate is a low-density mixture of hydrocarbon liquids that are present as gaseous components in the raw natural gas produced from many natural gas fields....
and 2 Gcuft of natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
.
A single central processing facility (CPF) sits over the Marnock field and serves as a hub for all production and operations of the asset including all processing and export and a base for expedition to the Mungo NUI
Normally unmanned installation
A Normally Unmanned Installation is a type of automated offshore Oil/Gas platform designed to be primarily operated remotely, without the constant presence of personnel....
. The CPF consists of separate platforms for operations and accommodation linked by two 60 m bridges. The Processing, drilling and Riser platform (PdR), contains the process plant and the export lines, a riser area to receive production fluid
Production fluid
Production fluid is the fluid mixture of oil, gas and water in formation fluid that flows to the surface of an oil well from a reservoir. Its consistency and composition varies.Fluids may be described by a multitude of characteristics including:...
s from the other ETAP fields and the wellheads of Marnock. The Quarters and Utilities platform (QU) provides accommodation for up to 117 personnel operating this platform or travelling onwards to the Mungo NUI
NUI
NUI as an acronym may refer to:*National University of Ireland*Natural User Interface*Normally unmanned installation*No User Interface*New User Interface*Novell Users International*Novell Users International - France*Network Users Institute...
. This partitioning of accommodation and operations into two platforms, adds an extra element of safety, a particular concern for the designers coming only a few years after the Cullen report on the Piper Alpha
Piper Alpha
Piper Alpha was a North Sea oil production platform operated by Occidental Petroleum Ltd. The platform began production in 1976, first as an oil platform and then later converted to gas production. An explosion and resulting fire destroyed it on 6 July 1988, killing 167 men, with only 61...
disaster.
Liquids are exported to Kinneil at Grangemouth
Grangemouth
Grangemouth is a town and former burgh in the council area of Falkirk, Scotland. The town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, east of Falkirk, west of Bo'ness and south-east of Stirling. Grangemouth had a resident population of 17,906 according to the 2001...
through the Forties pipeline system
Forties pipeline system
The Forties pipeline system is a pre-eminent pipeline network in the North Sea carrying 30% of the UK's oil, or about of oil a day, to shore. It is owned and operated by UK-based global energy company BP, who retained the asset after selling the Forties oilfield to Apache Corp. in 2003...
. Gas is exported by the Central Area Transmission System
Central Area Transmission System
The Central Area Transmission System is a natural gas transportation system from the Central North Sea to Teesside in England.-History:...
to Teeside.
Apart from Mungo, which has surface wellheads on a NUI, all other fields use subsea tie-backs.
A tenth field, Fidditch, is currently under development by BP. (which has now been put on hold due to the global economic downturn)
Marnock
The Marnock field is located in UKCS block 22/24 and is named after Saint Marnock. It is a high pressure, high temperature gas condensate field with initial reservoirOil reservoir
A petroleum reservoir, or oil and gas reservoir, is a subsurface pool of hydrocarbons contained in porous or fractured rock formations. The naturally occurring hydrocarbons, such as crude oil or natural gas, are trapped by overlying rock formations with lower permeability...
pressure of 9000psi. Estimated recoverable reserves are 600 billion scf
Standard cubic foot
A standard cubic foot is a measure of quantity of gas, equal to a cubic foot of volume at 60 degrees Fahrenheit and either 14.696 psi or 14.73 psi of pressure.A standard cubic foot is thus not a unit of volume but of quantity, and the conversion to normal cubic metres is...
and 50 Moilbbl of condensate. Marnock produces directly to surface wellhead
Wellhead
A wellhead is a general term used to describe the component at the surface of an oil or gas well that provides the structural and pressure-containing interface for the drilling and production equipment....
s on the CPF. It is operated by BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
in partnership with Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
, Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
and AGIP
Agip
Agip is an Italian automotive gasoline and diesel retailer established in 1926. It is a subsidiary of the multinational petroleum company Eni.In 2003, Eni S.p.A...
.
Mungo
The Mungo field is located in UKCS block 23/16 and is named after Saint MungoSaint Mungo
Saint Mungo is the commonly used name for Saint Kentigern . He was the late 6th century apostle of the Brythonic Kingdom of Strathclyde in modern Scotland, and patron saint and founder of the city of Glasgow.-Name:In Wales and England, this saint is known by his birth and baptismal name Kentigern...
. It is an oilfield with a natural gas cap. Water and gas injection are used to manage the reservoir
Oil reservoir
A petroleum reservoir, or oil and gas reservoir, is a subsurface pool of hydrocarbons contained in porous or fractured rock formations. The naturally occurring hydrocarbons, such as crude oil or natural gas, are trapped by overlying rock formations with lower permeability...
, which necessitated a small normally unmanned installation
Normally unmanned installation
A Normally Unmanned Installation is a type of automated offshore Oil/Gas platform designed to be primarily operated remotely, without the constant presence of personnel....
be built to support these facilities. The NUI is tied back to the CPF. The field is operated by BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
in partnership with Nippon Oil
Nippon Oil
The , or NOC or Shin-Nisseki is a Japanese petroleum company. Its businesses include the exploration, importation, and refining of crude oil; the manufacture and sale of petroleum products, including fuels and lubricants; and other energy-related activities.Its products are sold under the brand...
, Murphy Oil
Murphy Oil
Murphy Oil Corporation is an international oil and gas company, founded in 1944 as C.H. Murphy & Co by Charle H Murphy Sr., that conducts business through various operating subsidiaries. Murphy produces oil and/or natural gas in the United States, Canada, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and Republic...
and Total S.A.
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
.
Monan
The Monan Field is located in UKCS block 22/20 and is named after Saint Monan. It is a small turbidite oil and gas field produced under natural depletion using subsea manifolds. Its production fluidProduction fluid
Production fluid is the fluid mixture of oil, gas and water in formation fluid that flows to the surface of an oil well from a reservoir. Its consistency and composition varies.Fluids may be described by a multitude of characteristics including:...
s are fed into the pipelines connecting Mungo to the CPF. The field is operated by BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
in partnership with Nippon Oil
Nippon Oil
The , or NOC or Shin-Nisseki is a Japanese petroleum company. Its businesses include the exploration, importation, and refining of crude oil; the manufacture and sale of petroleum products, including fuels and lubricants; and other energy-related activities.Its products are sold under the brand...
, Murphy Oil
Murphy Oil
Murphy Oil Corporation is an international oil and gas company, founded in 1944 as C.H. Murphy & Co by Charle H Murphy Sr., that conducts business through various operating subsidiaries. Murphy produces oil and/or natural gas in the United States, Canada, Malaysia, the United Kingdom and Republic...
and Total S.A.
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
.
Machar
The Machar is located in UKCS block 23/26 named after Saint MacharSaint Machar
Machar was a 6th-century Irish Saint active in Scotland.Much of what is claimed to be known about St Machar derives from the Aberdeen Breviary, a work compiled in the late fifteenth to early sixteenth centuries, long after the traditional date of Machar's life...
. It is an oil field in a chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
reservoir
Oil reservoir
A petroleum reservoir, or oil and gas reservoir, is a subsurface pool of hydrocarbons contained in porous or fractured rock formations. The naturally occurring hydrocarbons, such as crude oil or natural gas, are trapped by overlying rock formations with lower permeability...
located on top of a large salt diapir. Originally, the half dozen wells produced under natural depletion but modifications are being made to include the capacity for gas lift
Gas lift
Gas lift is one of a number of processes used to artificially lift oil or water from wells where there is insufficient reservoir pressure to produce the well. The process involves injecting gas through the tubing-casing annulus. Injected gas aerates the fluid to reduce its density; the formation...
. The field is solely a BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
possession.
Mirren and Madoes
These two were later additions to the ETAP complex. The Mirren field is located in UKCS block 22/25 and is named after Saint Mirren. It is an oil field with a gas cap in the PaleocenePaleocene
The Paleocene or Palaeocene, the "early recent", is a geologic epoch that lasted from about . It is the first epoch of the Palaeogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era...
structure. The Madoes field is located in UKCS block 22/23 and is named after Saint Madoes. It is a light oil field located in the Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
rock. Both are subsea tiebacks to the CPF, with the capacity for gas lift
Gas lift
Gas lift is one of a number of processes used to artificially lift oil or water from wells where there is insufficient reservoir pressure to produce the well. The process involves injecting gas through the tubing-casing annulus. Injected gas aerates the fluid to reduce its density; the formation...
in the future to aid production. They are both operated by BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
with Nippon Oil
Nippon Oil
The , or NOC or Shin-Nisseki is a Japanese petroleum company. Its businesses include the exploration, importation, and refining of crude oil; the manufacture and sale of petroleum products, including fuels and lubricants; and other energy-related activities.Its products are sold under the brand...
, Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
, Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
and AGIP
Agip
Agip is an Italian automotive gasoline and diesel retailer established in 1926. It is a subsidiary of the multinational petroleum company Eni.In 2003, Eni S.p.A...
.
Heron, Egret and Skua
These fields are high temperature, high pressure oil producing wells. Heron is in UKCS block 22/30a and has a Triassic reservoir. Skua is an extension of the Marnock Field. They are subsea tiebacks to the CPF, but also include produced water reinjection wells for disposal of produced water from Machar and Heron. All three fields are operated by ShellRoyal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
in partnership with Esso
Esso
Esso is an international trade name for ExxonMobil and its related companies. Pronounced , it is derived from the initials of the pre-1911 Standard Oil, and as such became the focus of much litigation and regulatory restriction in the United States. In 1972, it was largely replaced in the U.S. by...
.