UK’s newest gas projects may ease crisis
The U.K’s natural gas production is soon expected to increase, as two new projects come online.
Two new projects in the North Sea have recently started to flow gas, according to Bloomberg, and the extra capacity couldn’t come at a better time.
The first of the two, Shell’s Arran gas and condensate field in the UK’s North Sea, started to flow gas on September 22, and is expected to produce 21,1000 boepd, with 100 MMcf/d of gas.
The second field is NEO Energy’s Finlaggan field, which has also recently started flowing after a delays to the Forties Pipeline that spanned almost a year due to Covid.
Another field, Serica Energy’s Columbus development, is expected to come online shortly. Initial production is expected to be 7,000 boepd, about three-quarters of which will be gas.
There are other natural gas projects that are expected to come online also, including Harbour Energy’s Tolmount field, and IOG’s—both of which should come online near the end of the year.
That’s all well and good for some partial respite from the gas crisis that the UK now finds itself in. But at least one other gas project in the UK that has been recently canceled before it even bega continues to threaten their long-term energy supply.
Shell had its Jackdaw gas development there turned down by environmental regulator OPRED earlier this month—even in the throes of a gas crisis—although Shell has proposed some changes to the project in hopes of gaining reconsideration.
The project was expected to come online sometime in Q4 2024, and was expected to peak at 4.85 million cubic meters per day
