The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has published a new strategy, outlining a plan to maximise the economic recovery of ‘tight gas’ from the Southern North Sea (SNS).
The OGA conservatively estimates there are some 3.8 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of remaining gas accessible in the SNS, including infill opportunities, undeveloped discoveries and prospects.
However, tight gas reservoirs have often been disregarded as high cost and high risk, with licence holders tending to focus instead on less complex developments with lower costs and higher recovery factors.
The OGA’s Southern North Sea Tight Gas Strategy has been developed to help stimulate greater use of technology and collaboration to overcome these barriers and unlock this significant remaining potential in the SNS.
Eric Marston, OGA Area Manager for the Southern North Sea and East Irish Sea said: “Maximising recovery of tight gas represents a real opportunity to extend the life of the Southern North Sea’s existing infrastructure, including the development of marginal fields and potentially the redevelopment of existing fields. In addition we can expect an upturn in activity to benefit the supply chain by building their capability and expertise in tight gas.
“There’s a lot of energy in the southern sector right now with operators collaborating on some great projects to bring new developments to market. We’ve also been working closely with industry via the East of England Energy Group’s (EEEGr) SNS Rejuvenation Special Interest Group, which in turn has been actively supporting the tight gas agenda.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- ‘Tight gas’ is an economic term commonly used to describe low permeability gas reservoirs that produce primarily dry gas.
- To read or download a copy of the Southern North Sea Tight Gas Strategy, click here.
- More information on EEEGr’s Special Interest Groups can be found here.
For more information, please contact the OGA press office:
Tel: +44 (0) 300 020 1072