Hamilton North

Location and Geology

• The Hamilton North gas field is situated in Block 110/13a of the East Irish Sea, with a water depth of approximately 149 feet.
• The field is geologically characterized by a structure defined by major faults to the north and west, with dip closure to the east and south. The gas is trapped in the highly productive Triassic Ormskirk Sandstone Formation, which consists of high porosity aeolian and fluvial sandstones. The depth to the reservoir is shallow, ranging from 2300 to 2600 feet, with the gas-water contact at 3166 feet in the Hamilton North Field.

Operator and Ownership

• The Hamilton North gas field is operated by Eni UK Ltd, a subsidiary of Eni SpA, Italy. Eni UK is responsible for the production, supply, and marketing of oil and gas in the UK.

Production History

• The first gas production from the Hamilton North field began in December 1995.
• The field reached its peak production in 1997, with approximately 65 million cubic feet per day (Mmcfd) of natural gas and 0.21 thousand barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil and condensate.
• As of the latest data, the field has recovered 100% of its total recoverable reserves, and production is expected to continue until the field reaches its economic limit in 2025.

Field Development

• The Hamilton North field is developed using an unmanned satellite platform tied back to the Douglas field for processing. The produced gas, along with condensate and formation water, is transported via subsea pipeline to the Douglas complex for further processing.
• The development involved government approval in 1993, and subsequent milestones included the acquisition of stakes by various companies, such as Centrica and Eni.

Reserves and Production Volume

• The Hamilton North field initially contained 230 billion cubic feet (BCF) of gas in place (GIIP).
• By May 1999, cumulative gas production from the field was 180 BCF, with no water-cut observed at that time.

Current and Future Activities

• The existing infrastructure of the Hamilton North field is being repurposed as part of the HYNET Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project. This involves the installation of new topsides on the Hamilton North platform, drilling and re-completion of injection and monitoring wells, and the use of the depleted reservoirs for CO2 storage. The project is scheduled to start CO2 injection in Q4 2027.

Contractors and Partners

• The development of the Hamilton North field involved several contractors, including McDermott-ETPM for subsea installation and Saipem for pipeline installation.
• The original development partners included Hamilton Oil Co. Ltd., Lasmo plc, and Monument Resources Ltd..

In summary, the Hamilton North gas field is a significant gas production site in the East Irish Sea, operated by Eni UK, with a history of production since 1995 and ongoing plans for repurposing the field for carbon capture and storage.