Gadwall
- Type: Rig
- field
- Latitude: 57.4300058
- Longitude: 0.7109623
Gadwall Oil Field Profile
Location
The Gadwall oil field is situated in the North Sea, specifically within blocks 21/19a and 21/19c, approximately 160 kilometers east of Aberdeen, Scotland. It is located in shallow water with a depth of about 298 feet.
Ownership and Operation
The Gadwall field is owned by EnQuest and Korea National Oil. It is currently operated by EnQuest Heather.
Development History
- The field was initially developed by Venture Production (North Sea) Limited. The development plan involved two phases:
- Phase 1: Drilling a new water injection well into the Mallard Field to increase productivity, and re-entering a suspended exploration well in the Gadwall field, completing it, and tying it back to the existing production line between the Mallard Manifold and the Kittiwake Platform.
- Phase 2: If necessary, a water injection well was to be drilled into Gadwall and tied into the existing Mallard water injection pipeline to maximize production.
- Operations commenced in October 2004, with the installation of new infrastructure and the drilling of the necessary wells. The first oil from Gadwall was anticipated in Q4 2004.
Production
- The Gadwall field reached peak production in 2005. As of the latest data, the field has recovered 98.42% of its total recoverable reserves.
- The predicted peak production at Gadwall was 112,000 cubic meters per day of gas and 950 cubic meters per day of oil. The second phase of the development extended the field's life to approximately 10 years.
- Production from the field is expected to continue until it reaches its economic limit in 2027.
Infrastructure
- The field's production fluids are tied back to the existing pipeline infrastructure and transported to the EnQuest-operated Kittiwake platform in Block 21/18. The Kittiwake platform processes the fluids, with gas used to power the platform's generators and also exported via the Fulmar gas line. Oil is exported via tanker.
Environmental Considerations
- The development of the Gadwall field involved environmental assessments to ensure minimal impact. Additional information was requested and provided to address concerns about site-specific survey data, flaring, mitigation measures, treatment of oil-based mud (OBM) cuttings, and piling activities. No significant environmental impacts were identified, and the project was granted consent following consultations with statutory bodies like the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and the Fisheries Research Services (FRS).
Drilling and Operations
- The wells were drilled using water-based mud (WBM) for the top hole sections and oil-based mud (OBM) for the lower sections, with full containment and offshore treatment of the OBM. Drill cuttings were treated and disposed of onshore.
- For the initial development, a drill rig re-entered and completed the suspended exploration well 21/19-6 and tied it into the Mallard to Kittiwake production line. Additional wells, such as the water injection well in the Mallard field, were also drilled and tied into the existing infrastructure.
Current Status
- The field is currently in production, managed by EnQuest Heather. The production is integrated with the existing infrastructure of the Kittiwake platform, which has undergone minor modifications to accommodate the additional production from Gadwall.