Drilling imminent following Clipper South installation in North Sea

Sept. 9, 2011
The jacket and topsides have been installed for the Clipper South gas platform in the UK southern North Sea, according to partner Fairfield Energy.

Offshore staff

STAINES, UK – The jacket and topsides have been installed for the Clipper South gas platform in the UK southern North Sea, according to partner Fairfield Energy.

The 1,900-metric ton (2,094-ton) topside is designed to optimize recovery of tight gas from the Permian reservoir at the Clipper South field.

Five horizontal wells will be drilled, each with multiple hydraulic fractures, with the campaign due to get under way next month, followed by first gas in early 2012.

Clipper South’s gas will be exported via a 12-in. (30.5-cm) pipeline to the ConocoPhillips-operated offshore LOGGS trunkline system.

RWE Dea operates the project – the other partner is Bayerngas North Sea.

Fairfield CEO Chris Wright said: “We look forward to the next phase of the project when hydraulic fracturing technology will allow us to produce gas from tight Rotliegend sandstone to a platform designed specifically to optimize the process.”

09/09/2011