|
Marathon Petroleum Ireland, Ltd, Mahon Industrial Estate, Blackrock, Cork, Ireland
A number of potential development prospects have been identified in the area of the Kinsale Head gas field in the Celtic Sea. Using the recent development of the Ballycotton gas field as a model, this paper discusses how similar fields might be developed as satellites of the existing production platforms.
The Ballycotton gas field was discovered in March 1989 by an exploration well drilled in Block 48/20 by the ‘Western Pacesetter IV’. A further two wells confirmed the extent of the gas accumulation (see Taber et al. 1995).
The field is located approximately 25 miles off the coast of Cork and 8 miles north of the Kinsale Head gas field (Fig. 1), which up to that time was Ireland’s only producing gas field (Colley et al. 1981). The existence of gas processing facilities relatively close to the discovery well was a major factor in determining the technical and commercial viability of the Ballycotton gas field.
Owing to the relatively small size of the field and the predicted initial flow rate of over 50 MMSCFD which could be obtained from the primary Lower Cretaceous ‘A’ sandstone reservoir, it was decided to tie the discovery well (48/20-2) back to one of the Kinsale Head platforms. This was made possible by means of sub-sea completion techniques, whereby the necessary production equipment is installed underwater at the well site, and the well is remotely controlled from a ‘mother’ platform which also processes the gas. This obviates the need for a permanent platform or a floating production system, both
...
This 250-word extract was created in the absence of an abstract.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  P. M. Shannon, D. V. Corcoran, and P. D. W. Haughton The petroleum exploration of Ireland's offshore basins: introduction Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2001; 188: 1 - 8. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. M. O'Sullivan The geology and geophysics of the SW Kinsale gas accumulation Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2001; 188: 189 - 199. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
