Flyndre

Location

The Flyndre oil field is located in the southern part of the Norwegian sector in the North Sea, straddling the border between the Norwegian and UK sectors. It is situated approximately 35 kilometres northwest of the Ekofisk field and 293 km southeast of Aberdeen.

Water Depth and Reservoir Depth

The water depth at the Flyndre field is 70 metres. The reservoir itself is at a depth of 3000 metres, with an additional layer of oil in Upper Cretaceous chalk at a depth of 3100 metres, although this layer has poor reservoir quality.

Geology and Reservoir Quality

The Flyndre field produces oil and associated gas from the Balmoral sandstone of Paleocene age. The Balmoral reservoir has moderate to good quality. There is also oil present in the Upper Cretaceous chalk, but this reservoir has poor quality.

Discovery and Development

The Flyndre field was discovered in 1974. The plan for development and operation (PDO) was approved in 2014. The development involved a subsea horizontal well tied back to the Clyde platform on the UK continental shelf.

Production

Production at the Flyndre field began in 2017. The field was produced using a pressure depletion strategy, with only the Balmoral reservoir being developed. The well stream was processed on the Clyde field, and liquids were transported to the Fulmar platform before being sent to Teesside in the UK via the Norpipe. Some of the gas was used offshore for fuel and flare on the Clyde and Fulmar fields, while the remainder was sent to the Shell-Esso Gas and Liquids (SEGAL) system terminal at St Fergus in the UK.

Status

The Flyndre field was shut down in July 2023.

Norwegian Share and Ownership

The Norwegian share of the Flyndre field is seven percent. The field is operated in collaboration with UK-based infrastructure due to its location straddling the border between the Norwegian and UK sectors.

Production and Transport Infrastructure

The production from Flyndre was integrated into existing infrastructure. The liquids were transported to the Fulmar platform and then to Teesside via Norpipe. Gas was either used offshore or sent to the SEGAL system terminal at St Fergus.

Environmental and Operational Considerations

While specific details on environmental and operational considerations for the Flyndre field are not extensively detailed in the sources, it is part of the broader context of North Sea oil and gas operations, which are subject to stringent health, safety, and environmental (HSE) regulations.