Gas production starts at UK Rhum field

Dec. 27, 2005
BP PLC and Iranian Oil Co. UK Ltd. have begun natural gas production and export from what was the UK's largest undeveloped gas discovery, Rhum gas field, 240 miles northeast of Aberdeen.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Dec. 27 -- BP PLC and Iranian Oil Co. UK Ltd. have begun natural gas production and export from what was the UK's largest undeveloped gas discovery, Rhum gas field, 240 miles northeast of Aberdeen.

The high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) reservoir is flowing through the 3/29a-5 well, drilled earlier this year, at an initial rate of 130 MMscfd of gas. Production is expected to plateau at 300 MMscfd of gas when all three development wells are on stream.

Rhum has estimated reserves of 800 bcf of gas. It is a subsea tieback to BP-operated Bruce field. Gas will be exported from Bruce via the Frigg pipeline system to St. Fergus and associated condensate will be piped via Bruce into the Forties Pipeline System.

The development of a HPHT gas reservoir using a long-distance subsea tie-back is a world first, BP said.