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Fram oil and gas field is located in blocks 29/3c and 29/8a of the central North Sea, UK. The field lies in 100m of water about 220km east of Aberdeen and 50km west of the UK and Norway median line.Shell UK is the operator of the field and holds 32% equity share. Esso Exploration & Production UK (a subsidiary of ExxonMobil) holds the remaining 68% equity.The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) approved the development of the field in October 2012. According to DECC, Fram is one of the largest development projects to receive approval in the last five years. The oil field is also one of the largest and most significant developments by Shell during the past decade in the North Sea.The Fram field is estimated to hold around 390 million barrels of hydrocarbons in place. First production from the field is expected in 2015.The field is expected to produce around 35,000 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day on an average. Around two-thirds of field production will be gas and the rest oil.The field is expected to have a life of around 20 to 30 years. Development of the field will increase the UK’s daily oil production by two percent and provide an alternative source for UK North Sea’s declining oil and gas resources.#Discovery of the North Sea-based field#Shell and Esso’s joint venture discovered Fram while drilling an exploration well 29/3-1 in 1969. The well encountered an oil rim with a gas cap inside a Palaeocene age Forties reservoir in a four way dip closure around a salt diaper structure.Development of the field was, however, considered unfeasible due to the complex structure of the reservoir, small volume of hydrocarbons and non-availability of processing and export facilities close to the field.#Appraisal drilling at the Fram oil and gas field#The full potential of the field was known only after the drilling of another appraisal well, 29/3a-6, almost 40 years after discovery of the field. The possibility of the development of the field was still unclear as the field needed to be further evaluated.In 2007 and 2008, a series of 3D seismic surveys and studies were carried out to analyse and understand the field reservoir. The studies provided a better understanding of the complex structures of the field.Two new appraisal wells, 29/3c-8 and 29/3c-8z, were drilled in the first quarter of 2009 by the Sedco 711 semi-submersible rig. The appraisal wells were drilled to identify an optimum solution for development of the field.After a series of drilling and testing operations in 2009, significant recoverable amounts of hydrocarbons were found establishing the feasibility of the field.#Development plan and subsea system#The development plan for Fram consists of drilling of eight production wells (five oil and three gas wells) and one water re-injection well from two subsea drill centres (at east and west).A 4.4km-long subsea flowline bundle will connect these wells to a floating, production, storage and off-loading (FPSO) vessel through dynamic risers.Produced oil will be exported using shuttle tankers. A 14in carbon steel pipeline located 18km away will be used to export the rich wet gas through Shell’s Esso Gas and Liquids (SEGAL) system and Esso Fulmar Gas Line (FGL).The ocean guardian rig of Diamond Offshore Drilling began drilling work at the field in July 2012.The field’s subsea system will include a three kilometre flowline, a two kilometre umbilical, two towhead manifolds, Pipeline End Manifold (PLEM) and a tie-in point to the 20in gas export pipeline.#Fram FPSO vessel#The field will be developed using an FPSO vessel. Instead of building a new FPSO, an Aframax tanker will be upgraded and converted to a single deck double hall tanker for the project.The tanker will be installed with a new turret and swivel which will help in adjusting to the weather conditions. The vessel will also be equipped with a 3×3 or 3×4 anchor line mooring, new power and utilities modules, topsides process modules, a new flare, offloading arrangements, accommodation facilities and a helideck.#Contracts awarded by Shell / Esso#In January 2013, Shell awarded a $135m contract to Subsea7. The contract includes engineering, procurement, fabrication and installation of a 4.5km and 44in diameter pipe bundle with manifolds and tie-ins. Project management and engineering works are expected to commence soon. Offshore works will also start and are expected to finish in 2014.SBM Offshore received an interim award from Shell in June 2012, for FPSO lease and operation. The project is the first to be undertaken as part of the Enterprise Framework Agreement (EFA) signed between Shell and SBM Offshore in March 2012.Related content#Western Isles Development Project, North Sea, United Kingdom#Western Isles Development (WID) Project is located in Block 210/24a, in the northern North Sea area, UK.#Mariner Area Development, North Sea, United Kingdom#Statoil’s Mariner Area Development project, located in the northern North Sea, calls for the development of Mariner and Mariner East ultra-heavy oil fields with an estimated investment of £4.2bn (approximately $6.7bn).