Phillips UK starts up Jade field, latest to join HTHP ranks

Feb. 28, 2002
Phillips Petroleum Co. UK Ltd., a unit of Phillips Petroleum Co., said Thursday that production of 60 MMcfd of natural gas and 4,500 b/d of oil has begun from high-pressure, high-temperature Jade field in the UK North Sea. Phillips and its partners expect to reach peak production of 200 MMscfd of gas and 16,000 b/d of oil in the third quarter.

By the OGJ Online Staff
HOUSTON, Feb. 28 -- Phillips Petroleum Co. UK Ltd., a unit of Phillips Petroleum Co., said Thursday that production of 60 MMcfd of natural gas and 4,500 b/d of oil has begun from high-temperature, high-pressure (HTHP) Jade field in the UK North Sea. Phillips and its partners expect to reach peak production of 200 MMscfd of gas and 16,000 b/d of oil in the third quarter.

Phillips described the event as a "signpost" in the growing trend of developing technically daunting HTHP fields in the UK North Sea (OGJ, Mar. 17, 1997, p. 36). Last year saw the start-up of the even larger Franklin gas-condensate field, the second phase of TotalFinaElf SA's Elgin-Franklin HTHP project in the North Sea (OGJ, Sept. 10, 2001, Newsletter, p. 8).

Development, exploration plans
With the platform in place and production started, Jade field operator Phillips said it plans to drill the remaining development wells and further test the field's oil and gas potential with an exploration tail on one of the development wells. A possible second phase of investment in Jade development could follow.

"The UK central North Sea, especially Quad 30, is a core area for our UK division's future business," said Henry McGee, president of Phillips's European division, "and this platform provides a valuable extension to our existing infrastructure at Judy [field on Block 30/7]."

Jade field, on Block 30/2c, was discovered in 1996 and was later confirmed with an appraisal well drilled early the following year. The field is being developed with an unmanned installation connected via a 16-in. multiphase pipe-in-pipe pipeline to Phillips's Judy platform 12 miles south of Jade.

"Following the initial processing of Jade production on Judy," Phillips said, "gas will be transported through the CATS pipeline to the CATS terminal on Teesside and oil through the Norpipe pipeline to Phillips's Seal Sands terminal, also on Teesside."

Phillips holds 32.5% interest in Jade field. Other partners and their interests are BG Group 35%, Texaco North Sea UK Co. 19.93%, Agip (UK) Ltd. 7%, and OMV (UK) Ltd. 5.57%.