Study confirms stimulation potential for North Sea Greater Perth Area fields

Parkmead remains in discussions with CNOOC subsidiary Nexen Petroleum on a potential subsea tieback of its Perth and Dolphin fields to the Scott platform and associated facilities in the UK central North Sea.

An engineering study has confirmed the technical feasibility of the tieback, and talks are now progressing on the commercial arrangements.

The Scott facilities are ten kilometres (6.2 miles) south-east of the fields and Parkmead believes following this route would substantially reduce the capex of its Greater Perth Area (GPA) development, the company having previously considered a dedicated FPSO.

In addition, the company commissioned AGR Tracs International to conduct a reservoir study concerning the impact of well stimulation on the GPA sandstones.

The Perth reservoir has a gross oil column of around 2,000 feet (610 metres), and the study confirmed that stimulating the Claymore formation would likely improve well productivity and increase the overall oil recovery factor (Piper, Claymore and Tartan are other producing Claymore sandstone fields in the area).

However, further well trajectory work will be needed to optimise the inflow performance.

At Perth, the Claymore Sandstone forms a combined structural-stratigraphic trap, onlapping the Tartan Ridge to the north, with a southward-thickening and dipping sandstone wedge.

The sandstones were deposited as deep-water turbidites sourced from the Halibut Horst, with a further contribution from the Tartan Ridge.

In the UK southern North Sea, studies for Parkmead’s Platypus gas field development have concluded that by collaborating with other facilities in the area, a minimal platform concept could be applied, reducing expenditure, and that the reserves could be efficiently recovered from two rather than three development wells.

The partners are now working on optimising the export route for Platypus’s gas ahead of an offtake agreement.

Source: Offshore Magazine