Offshore staff
LONDON -- RWE Dea UK has started production from the Topaz gas field in the southern North Sea. The development, which was approved by the UK government this March, involved a single-well subsea tieback to the Tullow-operated Schooner platform, 20 km (12.4 mi) to the northwest.
Topaz, in blocks 49/2a and 49/1a, was discovered by Charterhouse in 1987. Last year, the jackup Noble Al White drilled an appraisal well and sidetrack, which found further gas. This was completed and suspended for production.
The field’s gas is exported to Schooner via a new 15-km (9.3-mi), 6-in. (15.2-cm) pipeline, installed by Technip, with Duco supplying the control umbilical. From Schooner, the gas heads through the Caister Murdoch trunkline system to the Theddlethorpe gas terminal on England’s east coast.
According to field analysts BritBoss, Topaz holds reserves of 32 bcf. A second producer well may be added, depending on production experience. RWE Dea’s partners in the project are GDF Suez E&P and Faroe Petroleum.
11/19/2009
