Shell links Merganser to Shearwater

Offshore staff

ABERDEEN, UK -- Shell UK has brought onstream the Merganser gas condensate field in the central UK North Sea as a subsea tieback to the Shearwater platform. The gas is being exported to the Bacton terminal in Norfolk via the SEAL pipeline, with the liquids heading to Scotland through the Forties pipeline system.

Although Merganser was discovered in 1995, its complex geology stalled development until recently. Shell's solutions included:
• Wells equipped with around 1,219 m (4,000 ft) of specialist sand-face technology – reportedly a North Sea record – to help prevent sand erosion
• Long horizontal reservoir sections, with total drilled lengths above 4,267 m (14,000 ft)
• Subsea multiphase metering, allowing the well stream to be measured in real time.

12/21/2006