Shell has started up a modern floating production, storage, and offloading facility that is capable of operating on the Penguins field in the UK North Sea. The operator with 50% ownership of the project is Shell while NEO Energy holds another 50% interest. In 2021, Shell shut down the Brent Charlie platform, previously used as an export route by the field. Decommissioning will now start on this installation.
Boosting Oil and Gas Output with Reduced Emissions
Peak production will be at approximately 45,000 boe/d in the Penguins redeveloped field. The project has a calculated discovered recoverable resource of approximately 100 million boe. The field mainly produces oil but will also generate enough gas to heat around 700,000 UK homes each year.
In comparison to the older Brent Charlie platform, the new FPSO facility will decrease the operational emissions by about 30%. The upgraded facility will also extend the field’s life up to 20 years, which will ensure long-term energy production for the UK.
Zoë Yujnovich, Shell’s Integrated Gas and Upstream Director, said, “Today, the UK relies on imports to meet much of its demand for oil and gas.”
She added, “The Penguins field is a source of the secure domestic energy production people need today, and the FPSO is a demonstration of our investment in competitive projects that create more value with less emissions.”
Also read: Shell Launches Production at Whale Facility in Gulf of Mexico
Energy Transport and Refining in the UK
Shell will ship Penguins oil to refineries outside the UK, which then send refined products like petrol and diesel back. Shell will send natural gas from Penguins through a pipeline to the St Fergus terminal, supplying the UK’s gas network.
The Penguins redevelopment includes drilling new wells, all connected to the new FPSO facility for enhanced production capabilities. Discovered in 1974, the Penguins field sits 165 meters deep, 150 miles northeast of Shetland, and produced intermittently since 2003. The field previously produced oil and gas until production ceased in 2021.