North Sea Penguins field back onstream following redevelopment
What is an FPSO?
A floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) installation is a floating facility, usually based on a (converted) oil tanker hull. It is equipped with hydrocarbon processing equipment for separation and treatment of crude oil, water and gases, arriving on board from sub-sea oil wells via flexible pipelines.
Treated oil is transferred to cargo tanks in the FPSO ship’s hull. Treated gas is used as fuel for on-board power generation, and excess gas is either re-injected back into the subsea reservoirs or exported via a pipeline to shore.
Shell has brought online the redeveloped Penguins oil and gas field in the UK northern North Sea via a Sevan-designed circular FPSO.
Penguins, discovered in 1974, originally started production in 2003 via subsea wells at multiple drill centers, with the wellstream exported through a 65-km pipeline to the Brent C platform.
However, the progressive shutdown of the Brent field complex in recent years necessitated an alternative export solution. Operations at Brent C ceased in 2021.
The FPSO is Shell’s first new platform in the UK North Sea for more than two decades. At peak, it should deliver about 45,000 boe/d, mostly oil; the company estimates Penguins’ remaining recoverable resource at about 100 MMboe.
The facility is designed to generate roughly 30% lower emissions compared with Brent C, and it should extend the field’s life by up to 20 years. A flareless system is designed to recycle vapor back into the tanks.
As part of the redevelopment, Shell has commissioned drilling of additional wells, tied back to the FPSO.
Produced gas will head through an existing subsea pipeline to the St Fergus terminal north of Aberdeen.
Penguins, in 165 m of water, is roughly 150 miles northeast of the Shetland Islands.
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About the Author
Jeremy Beckman
Editor, Europe
Jeremy Beckman has been Editor Europe, Offshore since 1992. Prior to joining Offshore he was a freelance journalist for eight years, working for a variety of electronics, computing and scientific journals in the UK. He regularly writes news columns on trends and events both in the NW Europe offshore region and globally. He also writes features on developments and technology in exploration and production.