TWO NORTH SEA PIPELINES DUE SHUTDOWNS

Shell U.K. Exploration & Production will shut down the Brent pipeline system in the U.K. North Sea for 1 month during this year's fourth quarter. The crude oil line from fields in the East Shetlands basin to Sullom Voe terminal in the Shetland Islands is the U.K.'s biggest single transportation system. It transports 600,000-700,000 b/d at peak periods.

March 26, 1990

2 min read

Shell U.K. Exploration & Production will shut down the Brent pipeline system in the U.K. North Sea for 1 month during this year's fourth quarter.

The crude oil line from fields in the East Shetlands basin to Sullom Voe terminal in the Shetland Islands is the U.K.'s biggest single transportation system. It transports 600,000-700,000 b/d at peak periods.

Shell said offshore engineering work this year between May and September will result in reduced throughput in July. A detailed review of the work shows a 4 week shutdown is necessary in the fourth quarter with throughput restrictions expected for an added 2 weeks.

The Brent system serves Brent, Cormorant, North Cormorant, Dunlin, Eider, Thistle, Deveron, Don, Murchison, Hutton, and Northwest Hutton fields.

Shell this summer also will shut down the Far North Liquids and Associated Gas System (Flags) from the East Shetlands area to St. Fergus, Scotland, for a period between July and September.

Work scheduled in an overall program for Brent and Flags is subject to change.

Despite the planned closures, oil production this year should average slightly higher than in 1989 when a series of accidents cut the company's operations. In addition to normal maintenance programs, U.K. operators are installing or repositioning pipeline and platform emergency shutdown valves (ESDVs).

A study by the United Kingdom Offshore Operators Association said 315 million ($519 million) will be spent on platform and subsea valves by the end of this year.

Britain's Department of Energy has published regulations for platform ESDVs and is in the final stages of drawing up regulations for subsea isolation valves.