Cygnus gas field

Last updated
Cygnus gas field
CountryUnited Kingdom
RegionNorth Sea
Location/blocks44/11a, 44/12a
Offshore/onshoreOffshore
Coordinates54°34’14”N 02°17’28”E
OperatorNeptune E&P UK Ltd
OwnerSpirit Energy (61.25 %) and Neptune Energy (38.75 %)
Field history
Discovery1988
Start of productionDecember 2016
Production
Recoverable gas760×10^9 cu ft (22×10^9 m3)
Producing formationsPermian sandstones, Carboniferous

The Cygnus gas field is a natural gas reservoir and gas production facilities in the UK sector of the southern North Sea. It is about 150 km of east of the Lincolnshire coast and started gas production in 2016.

Contents

The field

The Cygnus field extends over UK offshore Blocks 44/11a and 44/12a. The field was discovered in 1988 by Marathon Oil. [1] The reservoirs are Permian Leman sandstone and Carboniferous sandstone formations and have recoverable reserves of 760 billion cubic feet. [1]

In 2019 the Cygnus gas field was jointly owned by Spirit Energy (61.25 %) and Neptune Energy (38.75 %), Neptune E&P UK Ltd operates the infrastructure. [1]

Development

Production from the field has been developed in stages. In the first stage gas was produced by wells on the Cygnus Alpha platform and then routed by pipeline to the Bacton Gas Terminal via the Esmond Transmission System. [1] The next stage entailed development of the north west part of the field produced from the Cygnus Bravo platform which was routed 7 km to the Cygnus Alpha installation. [1]

Details of the Cygnus field infrastructure are as shown. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Cygnus installations
Platform nameCygnus A WHPCygnus A PUCygnus A QUCygnus B
Block44/11a44/11a44/11a44/12a
Installation typeFixed Steel platformFixed Steel platformFixed Steel platformFixed Steel platform
Coordinates54°36’36”N  02°22’29”E54°34’14”N  02°17’28”E54°34’12”N  02°17’23”E54°35’59”N  02°11’46”E
FunctionWellheadsProcessing and utilitiesAccommodation and utilitiesWellheads
Crew66Unattended
First gasDecember 2016August 2017
Water depth, metres22.52221.722
DesignAMEC
Jacket fabricationBiFab Methil
Jacket weight, tonnes1,8583,1461,9582,194
Topside fabricationHeerema HartlepoolBiFabHeerema Hartlepool
Topsides dimensions, metres23 x 23 x 10
Topsides weight, tonnes1,4743,9112,9602,753
No. of legs484
No. of well slots1010
No. of Wells
Production toCygnus APU across bridgeBacton via Esmond systemCygnus A PU
Production capacity9.1×10^6  m3 (320×10^6  cu ft ) per day
Pipeline length and diameter50 km, 610 mm7.28 km, 324 mm (12.75 in)
Pipeline NumberPL3088PL3086

Production

Cygnus gas has a minimum Wobbe Index of 46.6 to 46.8 MJ/m3. This is below the minimum specification for entry into the National Transmission System (47.2 MJ/m3). Cygnus gas en route to Bacton, commingles within the ETS pipeline with gas from Trent and Tors fields. The mixed gas arrives at Bacton with a minimum Wobbe index of 46.5 to 46.7 MJ/m3. If there is a reduction of gas flow from the other fields that deliver gas to Bacton then the output of Cygnus is constrained. To maintain Cygnus flow a temporary reduction of Wobbe Index from 47.2 MJ/m3 to 46.5 MJ/m3 at the NTS entry point at Bacton terminal was agreed in 2020. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easington Gas Terminal</span> Gas terminal in Easington, East Riding of Yorkshire

The Easington Gas Terminal is one of six main gas terminals in the UK, and is situated on the North Sea coast at Easington, East Riding of Yorkshire and Dimlington. The other main gas terminals are at St Fergus, Aberdeenshire; Bacton, Norfolk; Teesside; Theddlethorpe, Lincolnshire and Rampside gas terminal, Barrow, Cumbria. The whole site consists of four plants: two run by Perenco, one by Centrica and one by Gassco. The Easington Gas Terminals are protected by Ministry of Defence Police officers and are provided with resources by the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theddlethorpe Gas Terminal</span> Gas terminal in Theddlethorpe St Helen

Theddlethorpe Gas Terminal (TGT) is a former gas terminal on the Lincolnshire coast on Mablethorpe Road at Theddlethorpe St Helen close to Mablethorpe in East Lindsey in England. It is just off the A1031 and next door to a holiday camp and Mablethorpe Seal Sanctuary and Wildlife Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bacton Gas Terminal</span> Gas terminal in Bacton

The Bacton Gas Terminal is a complex of six gas terminals within four sites located on the North Sea coast of North Norfolk in the United Kingdom. The sites are near Paston and between Bacton and Mundesley; the nearest town is North Walsham.

The United Kingdom's National Transmission System (NTS) is the network of gas pipelines that supply gas to about forty power stations and large industrial users from natural gas terminals situated on the coast, and to gas distribution companies that supply commercial and domestic users. It covers Great Britain, i.e. England, Wales and Scotland.

Perenco is an independent Anglo-French oil and gas company with a headquarters in London and Paris. It conducts exploration and production activities in 16 countries around the globe. Perenco is involved in operations both onshore and offshore with production equal to approximately 450,000-barrel (72,000 m3) of oil equivalent per day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oil and gas industry in the United Kingdom</span>

The oil and gas industry plays a central role in the economy of the United Kingdom. Oil and gas account for more than three-quarters of the UK's total primary energy needs. Oil provides 97 per cent of the fuel for transport, and gas is a key fuel for heating and electricity generation. Transport, heating and electricity each account for about one-third of the UK's primary energy needs. Oil and gas are also major feedstocks for the petrochemicals industries producing pharmaceuticals, plastics, cosmetics and domestic appliances.

The Leman gas field is a natural gas field located in the North Sea 30 miles (48 km) northeast of Great Yarmouth, United Kingdom. Named after the Leman Sandbank beneath which it is situated, the gas reservoir is a 18 miles (29 km) long, 5 miles (8.0 km) wide, 800 ft (240 m) thick Rotliegendes sandstone reservoir at a depth of about 6,000 ft (1,800 m).

The Sean gas field is a small natural gas and associated condensate field located in the UK sector of the North Sea, 67 miles (108 km) off the Norfolk coast.

The L10 gas field is a major natural gas producing field and hub in the Netherlands sector of the North Sea, about 65 km west of Den Helder. The field started producing gas in 1976 and was still operational in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ravenspurn gas fields</span>

The Ravenspurn gas fields are two adjacent natural gas fields located in the UK sector of the southern North Sea about 65 km east of Flambrough Head, Yorkshire.

Esmond, Forbes and Gordon are three adjacent, now depleted, natural gas fields in the southern North Sea, 170 km east of Teesside.

The Arthurian gas fields are small natural gas producing areas in the UK sector of the southern North Sea, their names are associated with the legend of King Arthur. The fields started gas production from 1989 and several are now depleted and have been decommissioned.

The Lincolnshire Offshore Gas Gathering System (LOGGS) was a major natural gas collection, processing and transportation complex in the UK sector of the southern North Sea. It comprised five bridge-linked platforms about 118 km east of the Lincolnshire coast, which operated from 1988 to 2018. 

The Pickerill and Juliet gas fields are decommissioned natural gas producing facilities in the UK sector of the southern North Sea. The fields are located about 66 km (41 mi) east of Spurn Head, Lincolnshire. Pickerill was in operation from 1992 until 2018 and Juliet from 2014 to 2018.

The Thames gas field is a depleted natural gas reservoir and former gas production facility in the UK sector of the southern North Sea. The field is located about 80 km north east of Bacton, Norfolk; the Thames production facility was in operation from 1986 until 2014.

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.

The Tyne, Trent and Tors gas fields are depleted natural gas reservoirs and former gas production facilities in the southern North Sea, centred around the Trent installation about 115 km east of Flamborough Head, Yorkshire. The fields produced gas from 1996 to 2020.

The Davy, Bessemer, Beaufort, Brown and Boyle gas fields are natural gas reservoirs and gas production facilities in two locations in the southern North Sea. The fields produced natural gas from 1995.

The A-Fields are natural gas reservoirs and gas production facilities in the southern North Sea; about 123 km east of Spurn Head, Yorkshire. The fields produced natural gas from 1988 to 2016.

The Saturn Banks Project comprises six natural gas reservoirs and gas production facilities in the southern North Sea, 35-55 km north east of Bacton, Norfolk. The fields are under development and first gas is due in 2022.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Cygnus gas field development". www.nsenergybusiness.com. Archived from the original on 2021-03-02. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  2. "Cygnus". www.spirit-energy.com. Archived from the original on 2018-08-14. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  3. "Inventory of Offshore Installations". odims.ospar.org. Archived from the original on 2021-11-25. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  4. "OGA interactive Maps". ogauthority.maps.arcgis.com. Archived from the original on 2019-01-26. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  5. "Amendment to Network Entry Provision at Perenco Bacton Terminal" (PDF). www.gasgovernance.co.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-12-23. Retrieved 23 December 2020.