The Viking gas field is a group of natural gas and associated condensate fields located under the southern North Sea about 85 miles (136 km) from the Lincolnshire coast. The field was in production from 1972 to 2018.
The field The Viking gas field is a group of natural gas accumulations under the UK North Sea. The field is named after the area of the North Sea beneath which the field is located. The gas reservoir is a Rotliegendes sandstone of Lower to Middle Permian age, at a depth of 9,100–10,200 feet (2,773–3,110 m) with a thickness of 200–500 feet (61–150 m). The Viking structures run north-west to south-east and extend over Blocks 49/12, 49/16 and 49/17. The field was discovered in 1965 and production started in 1972. The original gas in place amounted to 79.3 billion cubic metres. Gas and associated condensate from Viking A and Viking B were both exported via the Viking A field through a 28-inch diameter pipeline to the Viking gas terminal (renamed the Theddlethorpe gas terminal in 1988), Lincolnshire.
The Victor, Victoria and Vixen fields are adjacent to Viking and production from these fields is routed through the Viking offshore facilities.
The Viking and Victor gas compositions and properties are as follows. +Viking and Victor gas propertiesCompositionNorth Viking %South Viking %Victor Methane898991Ethane663.6Propane1.41.41.0Carbon dioxide222.5Gas gravity0.610.610.604Mean condensate content3–6 bbl/million cu ft3–6 bbl/million cu ft1.8 bbl/million cu ftCalorific value1030 Btu/cu ft1030 Btu/cu ft1020 Btu/cu ft
Ownership The field was originally licensed to Conoco UK Ltd, later ConocoPhillips. In 2019 Chrysaor assumed the ownership of Conoco-Phillips North Sea Assets. In March 2021 Chrysaor Holdings merged with Premier Oil to form Harbour Energy.
Development The Viking field was developed through a number of offshore installations. These are summarized in the following tables.
+Viking offshore installationsInstallationLocation BlockFacilityFunctionTypeLegsWell slotsInstalledProduction startProduction toViking A complex49/12AD platformDrillingSteel jacket811December 1970August 1972Viking APAP platformProcessingSteel jacket8–March 1971August 1972Theddlethorpe gas terminalAR platformPipeline risersSteel jacket6–July 19711972Viking APAC platformCompressionSteel jacket8–June 1975February 1976Viking APFD platformDrillingSteel jacket44July 1975July 1976Viking ADViking B complex49/17BD platformDrillingSteel jacket811May 1972August 1973Viking BPBP platformProcessingSteel jacket8–June 1972August 1973Viking ARBC platformCompressionSteel jacket8–June 1975July 1977Viking BPBA platformAccommodationSteel jacket4–1992––Viking CD49/17CD platformDrilling and processingSteel jacket64February 1974December 1974Viking BViking DD49/17DD platformDrilling and processingSteel jacket84May 1974October 1974Viking BViking ED49/16ED platformDrilling and processingSteel jacket84October 1974November 1975Viking BViking GD49/17GD platformDrilling and processingSteel jacket64June 1975July 1977Viking BViking HD49/17HD platformDrilling and processingSteel jacket64July 1974April 1975Viking BViking KD49/12KD platformProductionSteel jacket3619981998Viking BDViking LD49/17LD platformProductionSteel jacket3619981998Viking BD
Satellite fields The satellite fields which exported gas via the Viking B complex were: InstallationLocation BlockFacilityFunctionTypeLegsWell slotsInstalledProduction startProduction toVictor JD49/22JD platformProductionSteel jacket48June 1984September 1984Viking BDVictor JM49/22Subsea wellProductionSubsea–19951995Victor JMVictoria SM49/17Subsea wellProductionSubsea–20082008Viking BDVixen VM49/17Subsea wellProductionSubsea–120002000Viking BD
Production Export from the Viking B field was originally routed to the shore terminal via Viking AR. From 2009 export was re-routed to shore via the LOGGS installation.
Decommissioning The Viking A field (Viking North) was decommissioned as uneconomical in 1991. The A field platforms (except AR) were removed in 1993–4.
Viking CD, DD, ED, GD & HD ceased production in 2011–15, and were removed in 2017–18.
Theddlethorpe gas terminal was permanently shut-down in August 2018. Production from all connected fields ceased.
See also Indefatigable gas field Leman gas field West Sole gas field Hewett gas field Lincolnshire Offshore Gas Gathering System Pickerill and Juliet gas fields Caister Murdoch System
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