Gorm

Location and Geography

The Gorm field is situated approximately 220 km west of Esbjerg on the west coast of Jutland, Denmark, in the central North Sea.

History and Discovery

The Gorm field was discovered in 1971 and is one of the largest oilfields exploited by Denmark. Production began at the Gorm platform in 1981, followed by the Skjold platform in 1982, Rolf in 1986, and Dagmar in 1991.

Facilities and Infrastructure

The Gorm project includes the main production platform Gorm and its satellite platforms Dagmar, Rolf, and Skjold. These platforms are connected by subsea pipelines through which oil, gas, and water are transported.

• Gorm C: This is the primary processing and accommodation platform with 97 beds. It is a steel jacket platform and serves as the central facility for processing oil and gas from the Gorm, Skjold, Rolf, and Dagmar fields.
• Skjold: A wellhead and accommodation platform.
• Rolf: An unmanned wellhead platform.
• Dagmar: Currently not producing, it is also an unmanned wellhead platform.

Production

The original design production rate for the Gorm C platform was 60,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) and 84 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of gas. The production strategy involves maintaining reservoir pressure through water injection.

• Historical Production: By 2014, the Gorm field had produced over 702 million barrels of oil and 702 billion standard cubic feet of gas since 1981. In 2014, the annual production was 6.3 million barrels of oil and 3,677 million standard cubic feet of gas.
• Current Status: The total hydrocarbon production peaked in 1999 and has been on a natural decline since. However, efforts are ongoing to continue and optimize production and potentially access new hydrocarbon resources.

Reservoir Properties

• Block: 5504/16
• Production Horizon: Upper Cretaceous Danian chalk
• Field Delineation: 63 km²
• Reservoir Depth: 6,600 to 7,200 feet
• Hydrocarbon Column: 500 feet
• Density: 33.5° API
• Gas/Oil Ratio: 1789
• Sulphur Content: 0.2%
• Porosity: 27-35%
• Total Reserves: Oil - 110-600 million barrels, Gas - 353 billion cubic feet.

Environmental and Social Impact

The project has undergone extensive Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA). Key points include:

• Environmental Baseline: Assessments of the existing environmental conditions in the area.
• Impacts from Planned Activities: Evaluations of the potential environmental impacts from seismic data acquisition, drilling, well stimulation, and other planned activities.
• Transboundary Impacts: Considerations of potential impacts on neighboring countries in accordance with the ESPOO Convention.
• Natura 2000 Screening: Assessments to identify potential impacts on designated species and habitats.
• Mitigating Measures: Implementation of measures to mitigate both planned and accidental environmental impacts, including an oil spill contingency plan and ongoing monitoring.

Ongoing Projects and Planned Development

Several activities are planned to continue and optimize production:

• Seismic Data Acquisition: To interpret the geological structure and identify new hydrocarbon reserves.
• Regular Maintenance: Of existing pipelines and structures to ensure continued safe operation.
• Potential New Hydrocarbon Resources: Efforts to access new resources, particularly from the Dagmar area, which could lead to a production peak in 2031.

Incidents

There have been incidents, such as an oil leak in the field on 2 March 2011, highlighting the need for robust safety and environmental management systems.

In summary, the Gorm oil project is a significant oil and gas production facility in the Danish North Sea, with a long history of operation and ongoing efforts to optimize and extend its production life while managing environmental and social impacts.