NORWAY ECLIPSES U.K. IN NORTH SEA OIL FLOW

Despite new internal rankings, the North Sea has maintained its position as the world's fourth largest oil producing province behind the Middle East, the Soviet Union, and the U.S. Average production remains 3.7-4 million b/d. During 1991, however, sources of production within the total have shifted significantly. Britain no longer tops the North Sea production table. Early this year, major offshore shutdowns required for installation of mandatory safety equipment slashed production.

Sept. 2, 1991

2 min read

Despite new internal rankings, the North Sea has maintained its position as the world's fourth largest oil producing province behind the Middle East, the Soviet Union, and the U.S.

Average production remains 3.7-4 million b/d. During 1991, however, sources of production within the total have shifted significantly.

Britain no longer tops the North Sea production table. Early this year, major offshore shutdowns required for installation of mandatory safety equipment slashed production.

At the same time, Norwegian output remained just below 1.95 million b/d, exceeding flow from neighboring U.K. waters for the first time since the mid-1970s.

The major interruptions in U.K. output came from closure of pipeline systems during installation of emergency shutdown valves (ESV). The new safety equipment was scheduled for installation by the end of 1990, but a number of important operators received permission to extend the program into the first quarter of 1991.

As a result, U.K. production in January averaged 1.625 million b/d, reflecting closure of the Forties crude oil pipeline for ESV installations.

After recovering to 1.8-1.9 million b/d in February and March, output slumped to 1.5 million b/d in April following shutdown of the Brent pipeline system. May output went even lower at 1.37 million b/d.

Thirteen fields feed oil to the Sullom Voe terminal in the Shetland Islands through the Brent system, which normally carries about 400,000 b/d.

Elsewhere, Danish sector production jumped from about 120,000 b/d in 1991 to an average of 135,000 b/d in the first part of this year.

Dutch crude production is on a plateau of 40,000-45,000 b/d and is set to move lower.

Offshore gas production from northern Europe received a healthy boost in the early months of this year from several long spells of cold weather.

Output totaled 14.38 bcfd in January and 14.94 bcfd in February. In the much milder start of 1990, production never rose above 11.8 bcfd.

U.K. operations are far more sensitive to changes in the weather than those in Norway, Holland, Denmark, and Ireland, where 1991 output was not substantially larger than in the previous year.

During the January cold spell, U.K. gas production averaged 8.5 bcfd, compared with 5.8 bcfd in 1990. Demand was even greater during February, when output averaged 8.8 bcfd, against 6.1 bcfd in February last year.