Buzzard

Location and Overview

• The Buzzard Oil Field is located in the Outer Moray Firth, central North Sea, approximately 100 kilometres northeast of Aberdeen, UK, and about 55 kilometres from the coast at Peterhead[5|.
• The field spans across blocks 19/10a, 20/6a, 19/5a, and 20/1a South, covering production licenses P986 and P928.

Operator and Partners

• The field is operated by CNOOC Petroleum Europe Limited (formerly known as Nexen Petroleum UK), which holds a 43.21% stake.
• Other partners include Suncor Energy UK Limited (29.89%), Harbour Energy (21.73%), and One-Dyas UK Limited (5.16%).

History and Development

• The Buzzard Oil Field was discovered in 2001.
• Project development was approved by the UK Government in 2003, with first production starting in January 2007.
• The initial development involved the construction of four manned platforms: the Wellhead Platform, Production Platform, Utilities and Quarters Platform, and a Sweetening Platform that started operations in 2011.

Infrastructure and Platforms

• The Buzzard complex consists of four platforms interconnected by three bridges:
  • Wellhead Platform: Features an integrated deck with conductors and wellhead trees.
  • Production Platform: Includes fluid processing equipment, water injection pumps, and gas compressors.
  • Utilities and Quarters Platform: Supports accommodation, lifeboats, helideck, and seawater lift pumps.
  • Sweetening Platform (Hydrogen Sulphide Stripping Platform): Installed in 2010 to handle hydrogen sulphide stripping.

Production and Reserves

• The field has estimated recoverable reserves of over 550 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe).
• Initial production was expected to reach a plateau of 180,000 to 190,000 barrels of oil per day between 2007 and 2008. However, production volumes have varied, with expectations of producing approximately 195,000-220,000 boe/d in 2012.
• As of recent updates, the field has produced more than 800 million BOE and is expected to continue producing beyond 2040.

Export and Processing

• Oil from the Buzzard field is exported via the Forties Pipeline System to the Kinneil Terminal in Grangemouth, Scotland.
• Natural gas is exported via the Frigg UK Gas Pipeline System to the FUKA St Fergus Gas Processing Terminal in northeast Scotland.

Geology

• The Buzzard reservoir features low gas/oil ratio and excellent rock quality with high-porosity, high-permeability sands. The oil is medium sour crude with 32.6° API and 1.4% sulphur content.

Buzzard Phase II Expansion

• The Buzzard Phase II (BP II) project was sanctioned in August 2018, with the Field Development Plan approved by the UK Oil and Gas Authority. The project involves the subsea development of the unexploited northern part of the Buzzard field.
• Key components include:
  • Drilling of eight production wells and four water injection wells.
  • Installation of a 12-slot manifold and associated subsea equipment.
  • A new process module on the Production Platform to handle additional production.
  • The wells are tied back to the existing Buzzard complex via a subsea bundled pipeline system.
• First oil from the Buzzard Phase II project commenced in November 2021, with peak production expected to be around 12,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2022, increasing the total field production to approximately 80,000 BOEPD.

Contractors and Suppliers

• Several contractors have been involved in the development and expansion of the Buzzard field, including:
  • Dragados Offshore, Kvaerner, Saipem, Heerema, Aker Verdal, AMEC, CB&I, VWS Westgarth, BiFab, and KWSubsea for the initial development.
  • For the Buzzard Phase II project: AGR Well Management Limited, Baker Hughes (BHGE), COSL Drilling Europe AS, Subsea 7 Limited, and WorleyParsons Services UK Limited.

Environmental and Sustainability Commitments

• CNOOC International is committed to delivering on the North Sea Transition Deal emissions reduction targets and aims to be a Net Zero energy business in the UK by 2050. Near and medium-term emissions reduction opportunities are being progressed, including planning for options to decarbonise Buzzard’s electrical power supply.