Tullich

Location and Geology

• The Tullich oil and gas field is located in the North Sea, offshore the United Kingdom, specifically in block 9/23a.
• It is situated approximately 5 km south of the Gryphon field.
• The field is in shallow water with a depth of about 376 feet (114 meters).

Discovery and Development

• Parts of the field were initially discovered in 1991, but significant activity did not resume until 2001 when Kerr-McGee, the then operator, began an exploration and appraisal campaign.
• The field development plan was approved by the Department of Trade and Industry in March 2002, and oil production commenced by August 2002.

Ownership and Operation

• As of 2020, the Tullich field is 100% owned and operated by TotalEnergies E&P North Sea UK Ltd, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies SE. Previously, it was operated by Kerr-McGee North Sea (U.K.) Ltd before the ownership transferred to TotalEnergies.

Production Details

• The field is developed as a four-well, horizontal subsea tieback to the Gryphon A facility, which is operated by TotalEnergies.
• The field started producing oil in August 2002 and reached peak production in 2003.
• As of 2019, the field produced approximately 1.61 million barrels of oil per year and 59.15 million cubic meters of gas per year.
• The field has recovered about 93.50% of its total recoverable reserves, and production is expected to continue until the field reaches its economic limit in 2033.

Technical and Operational Aspects

• The development of the field involved innovative geomechanical, drilling, logging, and seismic techniques due to the geologically complex nature of the reservoir. Wellbore instability was a significant concern, which was managed through real-time wellbore-stability monitoring and efficient teamwork.
• The field's production is processed through the Gryphon FPSO (Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading) vessel, which includes facilities for oil separation, gas compression, and produced water handling.

Redevelopment and Future Plans

• There is a planned redevelopment project for the Tullich field, listed as “Tullich (redevelop/gas blowdown),” which could be approved between 2022 and 2025. This project is identified by Uplift and was noted by Carbon Brief.

Reserves

• The Tullich field contains estimated reserves of approximately 40 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMBOE).

In summary, the Tullich oil and gas field is a significant production asset in the North Sea, operated by TotalEnergies, with a history of innovative development and ongoing production activities.