Project Profile
Value: US$35 million
Location: Northern North Sea, around 386 km north-northeast of Aberdeen, UK
Reserves: unknown
Start-up Year: 1978
Area: 20,000 productive acres
The Ninian, Lyell and Columba fields are located in the Northern North Sea, around 386 km north-northeast of Aberdeen. The Ninian field is comprised of three fixed platforms. It is located in blocks 3/3 and 3/8a in the UK North Sea, 140 miles off Aberdeen, Scotland. The Lyell field is a subsea tie-back with production via subsea manifold to the Ninian South platform. The Columba fields are exploited utilising extended reach wells drilled from the Ninian South and Central platforms. Oil from all these fields is processed onboard the two platforms and exported to the Sullom Voe Terminal on the Shetland Islands via the Ninian Pipeline System. The Ninian field is a giant oilfield located in the UK Sector of the North Sea The field, which had an initial oil in place (STOOIP) of some 2,588 MMSTB, has been on production since 1978. In October 1994, the field\'s cumulative oil production reached the one billion barrel milestone.
The field was discovered by the BP/Ranger group in 1974. A well being drilled concurrently by the Burmah/Chevron group confirmed the discovery within a month of the discovery well. Ninian covers an area of 14 miles x 4 1/2 miles (approximately 20,000 productive acres). The field is a giant oilfield with an estimated STOOIP of 2,588 MMSTB and an estimated ultimate oil recovery of some 1,120-1,255 MMSTB. The field produces from the prolific Brent Sandstone group of middle Jurassic age. The producing horizons are at a depth of 9,750 ft. subsea. The reservoir was originally overpressured, with an initial reservoir pressure of 6,500 psig and a reservoir temperature of 215 F.
Operators:
Canadian Natural Resources: Operator with 100% interest
Contractors:
Aker Kvaerner: Pilot installation
Hankard: jacket life extension works, IRM scopes and inspection services
Wood Group Integrity Management: Manage pipeline, project management, engineering, construction and commissioning services
PD&MS Energy: Five-year North Sea contract extension with CNR International (CNRI) to provide services ranging from engineering, procurement and offshore construction for all the operator’s drilling facilities in the UK, including the Ninian North, South, Central and Tiffany platforms.
Petrofac: Contract renewals for operations and maintenance work worth approximately US$400 million on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS). The largest of these awards is for the provision of operations and maintenance teams for CNR International across its North Sea assets—the three platforms in the Ninian complex; Murchison; and Tiffany—for the next five years.