TotalFinaElf brings Franklin field on stream in UK North Sea

Sept. 4, 2001
TotalFinaElf SA has started Franklin field in the UK North Sea, which adds to production of jointly developed Elgin field, which came on stream in March. The two fields should plateau at 140,000 b/d of condensate and 13 million cu m/day of gas, said TotalFinaElf.

By an OGJ Online Correspondent

PARIS, Sept. 4 -- TotalFinaElf SA started Franklin field in the UK North Sea, which adds to production of jointly developed Elgin field, which came on stream in March.

The two fields should plateau at 140,000 b/d of condensate and 13 million cu m/day of gas, said TotalFinaElf.

Franklin, on Block 29/5b, is 5.5 km from Elgin in 93 m of water. It has an unmanned platform, as does Elgin. Output from the fields is processed through a central platform.

Condensate from the fields will be exported by a 24-in., 24-mile line to BP�s Marnock platform, and moved ashore via the Forties pipeline.

Gas is exported via the new SEAL (Shearwater Elgin Area Line) pipeline to Bacton where it is tied into the onshore gas transmission systems.

The high-temperature, high-pressure Elgin-Franklin project develops reservoirs at 5,500 m at 200° C and 1,100-bar pressure.

TotalFinaElf is operator of the Elgin/Franklin fields through EFOG (Elf Franklin Oil & Gas Ltd.) in which TFE has 77.5% and Gaz de France SA 22.5%.

EFOG owns 46.2% of the project; its partners are Agip (UK) Ltd., BG International Ltd., Agip Elgin/Franklin Ltd., Ruhrgas UK Exploration and Production Ltd., Esso Exploration & Production UK Ltd., Texaco Britain Ltd., Dyas UK Ltd., Oranje-Naussau (UK) Ltd., and ARCO British Ltd.