The offshore UK field will now produce until 2023/24, unlocking an additional 18 billion cubic feet of gas
The four-legged platform at the York gas field. (Credit: Spirit Energy Limited)
Spirit Energy announced that its 100% owned York gas field in the Southern North Sea, offshore UK, has achieved first gas following the execution of a £13m life extension project.
The project, which was approved by Spirit Energy in May 2020, gives another three years of life until 2023/24 for the offshore gas field. The company aims to unlock an additional 18 billion cubic feet of gas through the extension.
Spirit Energy North Sea operated assets director Girish Kabra said: “First gas from the project is a result of hard work and determination of the joint team of Spirit Energy, Perenco, Centrica Storage Limited and our supply chain partners.
“It is good to see York producing safely again after a short pause for the life extension project.”
Having started production in 2013, the York gas field had yielded 45 billion cubic feet of gas over the last eight years. It was originally intended to produce until 2020.
The offshore gas field, which was discovered in 1993, is located nearly 34km from the North East Yorkshire coastline.
Its life extension project was made up of activities offshore as well as onshore, and had included a walk to work campaign.
As part of it, the gas produced from the York gas field to the Dimlington Gas Terminal was re-routed for accessing its onshore gas compression facility. Earlier, the gas was exported through the Easington Gas Terminal.
Kabra revealed that the company has to complete some non-first gas related work on the project. This includes a well intervention for further streamlining production, which is slated to be completed later this year.
The York gas field, which straddles the 47/2a, 47/3a, 47/3d, and 47/3e blocks, is contained in a water depth of nearly 42m. Its platform is a four-legged, jacket-type fixed installation, which has three platform wells in production.