Shell Starts Production from Arran Offshore Field

Oil and gas giant Shell has started production from the Arran gas and condensate field in the UK North Sea.

Shell's Arran development is part of the broader Central Graben Area Plan, and is developed as a tie-back via a new pipeline to Shell's Shearwater offshore platform.

Offshore Engineer understands that gas production from the Arran field started in September. Also, Viaro, a company with an interest in the Arran field has said that the field has "recently achieved first gas."

Shell UK Limited, with partners Rockrose Energy (now owned by Viaro) and Dyas, announced a final investment decision (FID) for the Arran project in October 2018. Shell then also became the operator of the Arran project.

At the time of the FID, Shell said that at peak production, Arran is expected to produce around 100 million standard cubic feet per day of gas and 4,000 barrels per day of condensate, which combined equates to 21,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Arran is located some 240 kilometers 149miles) east of Aberdeen, in the Central North Sea, close to the UK/Norway median line in 85m water depth. The field was originally discovered in 1985.

Worth noting, the Arran pipeline will also be used for production from Serica Energy's Columbus development.

The Columbus field plan, approved in 2018, envisions the reservoir will be linked to the pipeline linking Shell’s Arran field and the Shearwater platform. Arran and Columbus fluids will combine in the new pipeline and be produced together through to the Shearwater processing facilities.

Serica has recently said that Columbus would start up immediately after the Arran Field wells have been brought online, stabilized and tested. 

When production from Arran and Columbus reaches the Shearwater platform, it will be separated into gas and liquids and exported via the SEGAL line to St Fergus and Forties Pipeline System to Cruden Bay, respectively, Serica said.

Also worth noting, Shell had planned to tie in its nearby Jackdaw field to the Shearwater facilities, too, with the expected production start-up in 2024, however, a British regulator earlier this month rejected this plan.

The Jackdaw is an ultra-high pressure/high-temperature gas condensate field in the Central North Sea, 250 kilometers east of Aberdeen, near the UK/Norway maritime border. The field was discovered in 2005 and appraised between 2007 and 2012.