Glengorm

Glengorm Oil and Gas Field Profile

Location

The Glengorm Oil and Gas Field is located offshore in the UK Central North Sea, specifically within License P2215. The field is situated at a water depth of approximately 86 meters, with the exact coordinates being 57.1632, 1.1068 (WGS 84).

Discovery and Exploration

The field was discovered in January 2019 by CNOOC Petroleum Europe Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited. The exploration well, Glengorm, was drilled to a total depth of 5,056 meters and encountered net gas and condensate pay zones with a total thickness of 37.6 meters.

Project Details

• Operator: CNOOC Petroleum Europe Limited.
• Ownership: CNOOC Limited holds a 50% interest, while TotalEnergies and Energean each hold a 25% interest. Originally, Edison Exploration & Production held a 25% stake, but it was acquired by Energean in December 2020.
• Status: The field is currently in development.

Reserves and Resources

• Gas Reserves: Initially estimated at 33,030.77 million m³ of discovered resources and 34,942.66 million m³ of remaining reserves as of 2021.
• Hydrocarbon Reserves: Initially estimated at 250 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) of recoverable reserves, but downgraded to a maximum of 60 million boe following appraisal wells.
• Liquids Reserves: Discovered resources of 48.58 million barrels.

Production

• Expected Start Year: Production is now expected to begin in 2025, having been delayed from the original forecast of 2024.
• Production Peak: Forecast to peak in 2029.
• Economic Limit: The field is predicted to continue production until it reaches its economic limit in 2054.

Appraisal and Development

• The Glengorm South appraisal well, drilled in April 2021, and the second appraisal well (22/21c-14) drilled in December 2021, both found no commercial hydrocarbons. Despite this, the existing Glengorm North discovery and future appraisal wells are considered independent and potentially commercial, possibly as a tie-back to TotalEnergies’ Elgin-Franklin facilities.

Environmental and Regulatory Aspects

• The project has faced opposition from environmental groups due to its potential contribution to climate change.
• CNOOC emphasizes its commitment to health, safety, environment, and social responsibility (HSE&SR) standards, ensuring a safe and environmentally acceptable operating environment.

Economic and Industry Context

• The discovery of Glengorm is significant in the context of the UK North Sea, marking one of the largest gas-condensate discoveries since the Culzean field was drilled in 2008.
• The UK offshore sector, including the Glengorm project, is adapting to changing energy priorities, with a focus on reducing emissions and transitioning to a low-carbon industry by 2050.

In summary, the Glengorm Oil and Gas Field represents a substantial discovery in the UK North Sea, with ongoing development efforts despite some challenges in the appraisal phase. The project is part of the broader context of the UK's energy transition and the North Sea's role in achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.