Columbus Gas Field, United Kingdom

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Key Data

Columbus is a condensate-rich gas field located primarily in Block 23/ !f" which covers an area of appro#imately 2$ s%uare miles &' ()km*+ in the central ,orth Sea" in a water depth of )'m( - portion of the field e#tends into Block 23/2 ( .irst production from the field is anticipated in late 2$ / or early 2$ '( 0he Columbus field is located about '$miles &2/ (/km+ east of -berdeen" Scotland" and appro#imately five miles &)km+ west of the British - ,orwegian median line( 0he field is estimated to have ma#imum recoverable reserves of 3$(1 billion standard cubic feet of gas and /(1 million barrels of condensate( Serica 2nergy is the operator of the field and holds '$3 ownership in Block 23/ !f( 0he remaining '$3 stake in the block is held e%ually by 2ndeavour 4nternational Corporation and 256 7esources(

Discovery and drilling history of Columbus gas field

80he discovery well" drilled to a total depth of 3"$)3(3m" encountered a gross gas column of 3)( m(8

Serica 2nergy won the 23/ !f concession block in 2$$' during the 23rd offshore licensing round( 0he Columbus discovery was made in 5ctober 2$$! through the e#ploratory well 23/ !f- ( 0he natural gas was found in the 9alaeocene .orties sands( 0he discovery well" drilled to a total depth of 3"$)3(3m" encountered a gross gas column of 3)( m( 4t flowed at an average rate of :('mn standard cubic feet of gas during a production test carried out with a wellhead pressure of "2$$psi( - vertical appraisal well &23/ !f- 2+ was drilled appro#imately () miles &2(1km+ north of the discovery well in ,ovember 2$$:( ;rilled by Sedco :$/" the well encountered a net pay of 2( m in the 9alaeocene sands( 0he appraisal well was sidetracked by 23/ !f- 2< well to further evaluate the discovery( -nother appraisal well" 23/2 -:# was drilled in ;ecember 2$$)( 4t is located in Block 23/2 and is an e#tension of the original field situated in 23/ !f(

Columbus gas field development and subsea infrastructure

Related project Causeway il Field, !orth "ea, United Kingdom
/23d of production licenses 9(2$ and 9( 3)3 of the northern ,orth

Causeway oil field is located in blocks 2 /22a and 2 Sea" =>(

.ollowing the completion of the engineering and design studies" the pro?ect partners submitted a field development plan &.;9+ for the Columbus pro?ect to the => ;epartment of 2nergy and Climate Control &;2CC+ in @une 2$ ( 0he Columbus field is planned to be e#ploited through a total of two production wells tied-back to the nearby Aomond platform via a new Bridge Ainked 9latform &BA9+( 0he BA9 will be connected to the host platform by a short bridge and will act as a processing facility for Columbus and other nearby fields( ,atural gas from the Aomond platform will be sent to 0eesside via the central area transmission system &C-0S+( Condensate is planned to be transported to >inneil oil e#port terminal via the .orties pipeline system( Subsea infrastructure will include a tie-in manifold" a production flowline to carry the fluids to the new BA9" and a control and chemical umbilical(

Construction details
0he development drilling on Columbus is e#pected to commence in the second or third %uarter of 2$ 3 depending on the approval of the field development plan( Subsea installation is planned for second half of the year( Commissioning activities are e#pected to be completed in the second half of 2$ /( 80he development drilling on Columbus is e#pected to commence in the second or third %uarter of 2$ 3 depending on the approval of the field development plan(8 -s per the approved environmental statement &2S+" the two production wells will be drilled by a semi-submersible drilling rig( 7iserless drilling with seawater and high viscosity sweeps will be applied for the top sections( 0he lower sections will be drilled with low to#icity oil based mud &A05BM+( -bout 1$2t of water-based mud and cuttings" which are e#pected to be produced as a result of two-well drilling programme" will be dropped-off at the bottom of the sea( 0he A05BM cuttings will be disposed ashore after treatment( 0he pipeline will be installed using a dynamically positioned &;9+ reel-lay vessel( 0he trenching for and burial of the production flowline and umbilical will be completed using a submarine pipeline plough(

#omond platform location and technical details

0he Aomond gas processing platform is located about '(' miles &)()km+ south of the Columbus discovery" in Block 23/2 of the central ,orth Sea( 4t is operated by B6 6roup and currently supports half a do<en active wells( 0he platformBs ?acket" which weighs '"2$$t" was built by Cighland .abricators( 0he topsides were manufactured by =42 and Clydebank" and weigh 1"'$$t( 0he platform provides accommodation for / people(