Tullich Redevelopment

Location and Geology

• The Tullich oil field is located in the North Sea, UK, specifically in block 9/23d.
• It is situated in shallow water with a depth of approximately 376 feet.

Operator and Ownership

• The field is operated by TotalEnergies E&P North Sea UK Ltd, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies SE. TotalEnergies holds 100% ownership of the field.

Production History

• The Tullich field has been a producing conventional oil field since its peak production in 2003. As of recent data, it has recovered 83.68% of its total recoverable reserves.

Current Status and Redevelopment

• The field is expected to continue production until it reaches its economic limit in 2050, based on current economic assumptions.
• There are plans for redevelopment, which may include gas blowdown activities. This is indicated by the mention of "Tullich (redevelop/gas blowdown)" in the context of future oil and gas projects in the UK.

Operational Challenges and Solutions

• The field is geologically complex, with individual reservoir-unit thicknesses below the limit of seismic resolution. This complexity required innovative geomechanical, drilling, logging, and seismic techniques to develop the field efficiently.
• Wellbore instability was a significant concern, but it was managed through a real-time wellbore-stability management system. This system validated stability predictions by monitoring surface and downhole drilling parameters, produced solids, fluids, and log data.

Production and Reserves

• While the exact current production rates are not specified, the field has significant reserves. The redevelopment plans suggest that there are still substantial resources to be extracted, although the specific volumes for the redevelopment phase are not detailed in the available sources.

Environmental and Regulatory Context

• The UK government has proposed a climate compatibility checkpoint for new oil and gas projects, but existing projects like Tullich, which already hold licenses, may not be subject to this checkpoint. This has raised concerns about the climate impact of continued oil and gas production.

Future Outlook

• The redevelopment of the Tullich field is part of a broader strategy by TotalEnergies and the UK government to maximize the economic recovery of UK oil and gas resources while navigating the transition towards net-zero emissions. The project's profitability and environmental impact will be closely monitored as part of this strategy.

In summary, the Tullich oil field is a mature but still significant oil production site in the North Sea, operated by TotalEnergies. Its redevelopment involves addressing geological complexities and managing wellbore stability, with ongoing production expected until 2050. The project operates within a regulatory framework that is increasingly focused on climate compatibility.