Jackdaw

Jackdaw Gas Condensate Field Profile

The Jackdaw gas condensate field is located in the Central North Sea, approximately 250 kilometers east of Aberdeen, Scotland, and adjacent to the UK/Norway median line.
The field is situated in blocks 30/02a, 30/02d, and 30/03a, at a water depth of around 78 meters (256 feet).

The Jackdaw field was discovered in 2005 by the 30/2a-6 exploration well, which intersected hydrocarbons in the Upper Jurassic Heather Formation.
The field was appraised between 2007 and 2012.

Jackdaw is an ultra-high pressure high temperature (uHPHT) gas condensate field, with the reservoir situated at a depth of approximately 5,182 meters, experiencing temperatures of around 191°C and pressures of about 17,000 psi.

The development involves the drilling of four new production wells using a heavy-duty jack-up drilling rig. Each well is planned to be drilled to a depth of approximately 6,000 meters.
A new four-legged steel jacket wellhead platform (WHP) will be installed as a not permanently attended installation (NPAI). The platform will be connected to the existing Shearwater host platform via a 31 km subsea pipeline.
The WHP will be remotely controlled and monitored from the Shearwater platform through the WHP Integrated Control and Safety System (ICSS).

The produced hydrocarbons will be exported via the subsea pipeline to the Shearwater platform for processing. The processed gas will then be exported to the onshore St Fergus Gas Terminal in Scotland via the Fulmar Gas Line, while the condensate will be exported via the Forties Pipeline System.
The project includes the installation of a new approximately 31 km pipeline from the Jackdaw WHP to the Shearwater platform, lined with corrosion-resistant alloy material.

The field is expected to start commercial production in 2025 and peak in 2026. Production is forecast to continue until the field reaches its economic limit in 2050.
At peak production rates, Jackdaw is projected to yield 40,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, contributing to over 6% of the expected UK North Sea gas production. This output is sufficient to cater to the energy needs of approximately 1.4 million households in the UK.

The project involves several key contractors, including Aker Solutions for the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation of the Jackdaw platform, TechnipFMC, Rosetti Marino, Genesis Gas & Oil, Kvaerner, Royal Boskalis Westminster, Crux Products, and CP Geo-Services.
The development cost is estimated to be around $610 million (£500 million in UK spending committed by Shell).

The project received approval from UK regulatory bodies, including the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) and the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment & Decommissioning (OPRED), in June 2022.
An environmental impact assessment (EIA) was conducted, and an environmental statement was submitted to support Shell’s application for consent. The EIA includes all offshore activities associated with drilling, installation, commissioning, operations, and decommissioning.
Despite regulatory approvals, the project faces legal challenges from environmental groups, such as Greenpeace UK, which has been granted permission for a judicial review in Scottish courts.

The Jackdaw project is seen as vital for UK energy security, particularly as the UK continues to rely on domestic oil and gas production over the coming decades.
The project aligns with the UK's North Sea Transition Deal, which aims to reduce upstream emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to a 2018 baseline. The field's operational emissions are expected to be less than 1% of the entire UK North Sea basin.

Drilling operations commenced in Q3 2023 using the Valaris 122 jack-up rig, with the drilling and completion activities expected to take approximately 538 days.
The installation of the platform jacket and topsides, as well as the export pipeline, is scheduled between Q3 2023 and Q1 2025.