Field Report

Britannia Field

Britannia gas and condensate field was discovered in 1970s in the UK sector of North Sea
(15 and 16 blocks) near south east to Aberdeen. Britannia Operator LTD. was assigned as an
operator of the field that was formed by ConocoPhillips (58.7%), Chevron (32.3%) and
Mitsui (9.0%). ConocoPhillips with its partners started development of the Britannia field
in 1984. The recoverable reserves are estimated to 145 million barrels of condensate
(Ref. 3)
Exploration
The first well that showed the sign of presence of gas condensate was drilled in Block 16/27
in 1975 and related to Lower Cretaceous sand. Further drilling a well in neighboring Block
15/30 supported the presence of hydrocarbon and found a Lower Cretaceous reservoir,
which tested at 19.6 MMSCFGD of gas and 3065 BOPD of 47 API condensate whilst drilling
a Jurassic prospect (Ref. 6, p415-416). Later, Texacos well 15/29-2a and Transoceans well
16/26-2 proved those accumulations in 1976 and 1977, respectively.
Appraisal
Appraisal wells were drilled between 1980 and 1993 with developing extensive testing
programs that included 3D seismic surveys. The first appraisal wells (15/30-3, 16/26-4 and
Alba field well 16/26-5) were drilled relatively at shallower depth going through Lower
Cretaceous and Tertiary areas. That is why wells that were drilled in structurally up-dip
locations often found thin sands (Ref. 6, p416). Deeper drilling of appraisal wells allowed
finding permeable, thick zones with oil water contact at depth of 13154 ft. below subsurface.
Finally, Texaco and Phillips by drilling 15/29a-5 and 16/27a-6 appraisal wells, respectively,
defined the edges of the field that comprised of four blocks to be defined as Britannia field.
During appraisal, it was found that Lower Cretaceous shales seal the Britannia Field
vertically (Ref. 6, p419). The shales thin from west to east and the presence of shallow gas
east of the platform in Block 16/27 may indicate an imperfect seal (Ref. 6, p419).
Development
The project has a unique character in some aspects in term of the co-operation of operator
companies and design of production facilities. In 1995, after government approval of
designed development project that was planned to last until 1998, Britannia Operator limited
consortium was assigned as a joint venture operating company by Texaco and Chevron with
their Block 15/30 and 16/26. The project included 17 drilling wells using two semisubmersible drilling rigs between 1995 and 1996. The initial stage of the project included
original 28 600 tonne steel Britannia platform installed in Block 16/26 by Dragados OffShore as a top sea solution, and 15 km. away from that platform a 750 tonne 14 slotted subsea cluster manifold in Block 15/30 as a sub sea solution. The manifold (33m long x 16m
wide x 9m high) can handle gas and associated liquids from up to 14 wells, and is designed to
produce up to 380,000,000ft of gas per day (Ref 1). The design of connection between
platform and subsea manifold takes into account the wax and hydrate formation when fluid
and gas are transport to platform and those flowlines grouped and covered by a 37 in.
diameter carrier pipe to form a flowline bundle (Ref 1) and hot water is provided into
bundle. That experience makes the project unique as mentioned previously as that option is
used for the first time and shows the future success in using it in basins like North Sea.
Britannia Satellite Phase 1 project designed Callanish and Brodgar satellite field development

which implied connection of them to Britannia Bridge Linked Platform which is installed by
Heerema Marine Contractors.
Gas and liquid is transported via export pipelines, where exactly gas is exported to SAGE Scottish Area Gas Evacuation terminal in Saint Fergus along with Callanish and Brodgar
(satellite field), Beryl, Brae, Scott and other field gases. Liquid is transported from platform
to Forties section at Hound Point in the Firth of Forth. A 14in. diameter pipe is used for
exporting condensate to the Forties Unity Platform and Forties Pipeline system and 27in.
diameter, 180 bar. pipe (Ref. 1) designed by Saipem is used for gas export to St Fergus.

Picture 1. SAGE Pipeline diagram (Ref 5)

Production
The first production in the Britannia field started at the mid of 1998. Analysing the
production history of Britannia field in the report of Department of Energy and Climate
Change (DECC) up to July of 2015 total oil and gas production through the life of the field
reached 15,515,860 m3 and 74,643,191 Ksm3 (see the Table 1 for more details). The reserve
proves of existing gas and condensate fluid with the composition diversifying from west to
east, where hydrocarbon content is richer in the west (condensate/gas ratio of 100
bbl/MMscf) and leaner in the east (condensate/gas ratio of 70 bbl/MMscf) (Ref 2). An oil
rim lies along the southern edge of the reservoir. Although the oil is a good-quality, light but
waxy, sweet crude, it is relatively immobile (Ref. 2). With the average of 380,000,000 ft
daily production, the field life is expected to last from production 30 years. During that
period 47 total production wells are anticipated to deplete the field entirely (Ref. 4).

Table 1. Oil and Gas production in Britannia field (Ref. 7)

The summary of significant factors of the field is presented in the table below:
Area, Country
Operator
Partners
Production start
Type
Trap
Porosity
Permeability
Temperature
Pressure
Area
IGIIP/reserves
Field life

Table 2. Summary of facts in Britannia field

North Sea, UK
ConocoPhilips
Chevron, Mitsui
1998
Gas
Stratigraphic and structural
Range 0-20%, average 15%
West average 60 mD, East average 30
mD
West 129 C, East 145 C
5990psia initially
61000 acrs
3.1 TCF and 117 MMBBL condensate
~ 30 years

Reference
1. OffshoreTechnology.com, Britannia, United Kingdom, 29/10/2015,
http://www.offshore-technology.com/projects/britannia/
2. A Barrel Full, Britannia Gas Field, 29/10/2015,
http://abarrelfull.wikidot.com/britannia-gas-field
3. Anon, Britannia Field Development, 29/10/2015,
http://subsea.org/projects/listdetails.asp?ProjectID=76
4. Oil & Gas Prospecting, Britannia & Alba Oil and Gas fields, 29/10/2015,
http://www.prospectingoilandgas.com/BrittaniaAlbaOilfieldsProject.html
5. Apache Corporation, SAGE, 29/10/2015,
http://www.apachecorp.com/Resources/Upload/file/UK/infrastructure_information/S
AGE/SAGE_Pipeline-diagram.jpg
6. Geological Society Memoir No. 20 - United Kingdom Oil & Gas Fields,
Commemorative Millennium Volume 2003. J. G. GLUYAS, H. M. HICHENS,
London, UK
7. DECC, Britannia, 29/10/2015,
https://itportal.decc.gov.uk/information/wells/pprs/Well_production_offshore_oil_fiel
ds/offshore_oil_fields_by_well/offshore_oil_fields_by_well.htm