Ravenspurn S

Location and Geology

• The Ravenspurn gas fields are situated approximately 65 km east of Flamborough Head in the southern North Sea.
• Ravenspurn South is primarily located in Block 42/30, extending into Blocks 42/29 and 43/26a. The reservoir is a Permian sandstone with a porosity of 23% and a permeability of 90 md.
• Ravenspurn North is located in Block 43/26a, extending into Block 42/30. The reservoir is a Lower Leman sandstone of the Rotliegendes group with variable porosity and permeability.

Discovery and Production

• Ravenspurn South was discovered in April 1983, with recoverable reserves of 18.0 billion cubic meters. First gas production began in October 1989.
• Ravenspurn North was discovered in October 1984, with recoverable reserves of 35.1 billion cubic meters. First gas production started in 1990.

Development and Infrastructure

• Ravenspurn South:
  • Developed by BP through three normally unattended offshore platforms: Ravenspurn South A, B, and C. Each platform is a steel jacket structure in 48 meters of water depth.
  • The platforms are equipped with wellheads and production facilities. Fluids from the wellheads are combined, routed to 3-phase separators, and then to a 16-inch pipeline to the Cleeton hub. Separated water is discharged to the sea.
• Ravenspurn North:
  • Developed by Hamilton Brothers as a main manned complex and two satellite platforms, ST2 and ST3.
  • The main platform features a concrete gravity substructure (CGS) installed in 41 meters of water depth. The CGS supports two separate decks, with the main production deck installed in the spring of 1990 and a second deck for gas compression equipment added later.
  • Fluids from the satellite platforms are exported to the central complex, processed, and then routed to the Cleeton development via a 24-inch diameter pipeline.

Operators and Ownership

• Ravenspurn South:
  • Initially licensed to BP Exploration Operating Co. Ltd. (100%) in 1993. BP remained the operator until 2012, when Perenco assumed operatorship.
• Ravenspurn North:
  • Initially developed by Hamilton Brothers, which remained the operator until 1998 when BP took over. In 2012, Perenco acquired BP’s interest and became the operator.

Production and Recent Activities

• Peak Production:
  • Ravenspurn South produced 1.60 billion cubic meters of gas in its first year of peak production (1991).
  • Ravenspurn North produced 3.50 billion cubic meters of gas in its first year of peak production (1992).
• Recent Developments:
  • In 2024, Perenco UK brought the C06 well online in the Ravenspurn South area, adding new reserves and increasing production. This well, along with the D15 and D16 wells at Ravenspurn North, is expected to lift Perenco’s operated production in the southern gas basin by about 20%.

Environmental and Decommissioning

• The fields are located within the Southern North Sea Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
• Environmental reports indicate that produced water from the fields is managed to meet consented limits, although there have been instances of exceedance in oil concentration in produced water.
• Decommissioning activities have been ongoing, including the removal of wellheads and platform dismantlement preparations for other nearby fields.

Onshore Facilities

• Gas from both fields is commingled with production from other fields at the Cleeton development and exported onshore via a 59 km, 36-inch diameter pipeline to the Dimlington Gas Terminal on the Yorkshire coast.