Tormore

Tormore Field Profile

Location and Geology

The Tormore field is located approximately 125 kilometers north-west of the Shetland Islands in the North Sea, within Block 205/5a. It is situated at a water depth of 600 meters (1,968 feet), making it one of the deepest and most challenging environments for offshore drilling in the UK.

Discovery and Licensing

The Tormore field was discovered in 2007 with the first exploration well (205/5a-1) recording a test flow rate of 32 million cubic feet of gas per day at a depth of 3,936 meters (12,913 feet). The condensate rate was 75 barrels per 1 million cubic feet of gas. The field was developed in conjunction with the nearby Laggan field, which was discovered in 1986.

Ownership and Partners

The Tormore field is owned by Total E&P UK (60%), SSE E&P UK (20%), and DONG E&P (UK) (20%). Total E&P UK serves as the operator of the project.

Development and Infrastructure

The development of the Tormore field is part of the larger Laggan-Tormore project, which involves a subsea-to-shore concept. This project is notable for being the first fully subsea-to-shore development in UK waters, with no offshore surface platforms. The fields are connected to the Shetland Gas Plant (SGP) at Sullom Voe via two 143-kilometer long, 18-inch diameter multi-phase flowlines. This setup is one of the longest tiebacks in the world.

Drilling and Production

• Drilling: Appraisal drilling on the Tormore field was conducted between 2008 and 2010. The development drilling involved seven production wells, with three wells drilled for Tormore. One of these wells was an existing exploration well that was re-entered. The drilling was carried out using the West Phoenix semi-submersible rig operated by Seadrill.
• Production: The Tormore field, along with the Laggan field, is expected to produce approximately 90,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) at peak production. This includes about 500 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, contributing around 8% to the UK's total gas consumption.

Subsea System and Processing

• Subsea Infrastructure: The subsea system includes eight subsea wells and two subsea production systems, one for each field. The production systems comprise two six-slot production manifold templates. Heerema Marine was responsible for the transportation and installation of these production systems.
• Processing Plant: The gas and condensate from the Tormore field are processed at the Shetland Gas Plant (SGP), which was built by Petrofac’s Offshore Engineering & Operations unit. The SGP is designed to process around 500 million cubic feet of gas per day and has been built with spare capacity to facilitate future developments in the West of Shetland area.

Economic and Environmental Impact

• Investment and Jobs: The Laggan-Tormore project required an estimated £2.5 billion ($3.8 billion) investment. During the construction phase, it created 800 jobs, and during operations, it employs about 70 personnel. DONG E&P (UK) contributed approximately £500 million to the project.
• Community Engagement: Total E&P UK has ensured significant community engagement and economic benefits for the Shetland Islands. The project was designed to minimize disruption to the local population and to provide long-term economic benefits.

Future Developments and Expansion

• Additional Fields: The infrastructure developed for the Laggan-Tormore project has also enabled the development of nearby fields such as Edradour and Glenlivet, which were brought online in 2017 and 2018, respectively. This setup allows for the potential exploitation of other stranded gas fields in the region using the existing infrastructure.

Recent Developments

As of June 2024, TotalEnergies has signed an agreement to sell its entire interest in the West of Shetland assets, including the Laggan, Tormore, Glenlivet, Edradour, and Glendronach fields, along with the onshore Shetland Gas Plant and nearby exploration licenses, to The Prax Group. This transaction is subject to approval from the relevant authorities.

Reserves and Production Life

• Reserves: The total field reserves for Laggan and Tormore are estimated to exceed one trillion cubic feet of gas and condensates, equivalent to about 230 million barrels of oil equivalent.
• Production Life: The fields are expected to have a production life of approximately 20 years.