Britain as vulnerable to energy price shocks as Uganda

[tymeric]

Or on the other hand you could see not developing the fields now as a good policy as it gives the Uk some reserves if when the Oil price spikes

That's the problem, as I understand it, some/many of the marginal fields require the use of the existing infrastructure to get it ashore. Once the big fields shut down, so will the infrastructure, so to run directly ashore from the undeveloped fields just would'nt be viable regardless of how high the price goes

[Totally_Baffled]

Or on the other hand you could see not developing the fields now as a good policy as it gives the Uk some reserves if when the Oil price spikes

That's the problem, as I understand it, some/many of the marginal fields require the use of the existing infrastructure to get it ashore. Once the big fields shut down, so will the infrastructure, so to run directly ashore from the undeveloped fields just would'nt be viable regardless of how high the price goes

Yeah I have read this somewhere too, I need to ask the oil production experts on here a daft question if you dont mind, why can't the oil be pumped straight onto a boat from a rig? (rather through a network of pipes to onshore - which presumably is what happens at the moment?)

Please go easy on me

[vtsnowedin]

Or on the other hand you could see not developing the fields now as a good policy as it gives the Uk some reserves if when the Oil price spikes

That's the problem, as I understand it, some/many of the marginal fields require the use of the existing infrastructure to get it ashore. Once the big fields shut down, so will the infrastructure, so to run directly ashore from the undeveloped fields just would'nt be viable regardless of how high the price goes

Yeah I have read this somewhere too, I need to ask the oil production experts on here a daft question if you dont mind, why can't the oil be pumped straight onto a boat from a rig? (rather through a network of pipes to onshore - which presumably is what happens at the moment?)

Please go easy on me

Not an expert by any means but I'm guessing that you can ,just that the delivery cost per barrel would be higher. The video linked below is pretty self explanatory. Imagine pulling your bobbing empty tanker alongside a fixed rig and hailing the crew to "Fill up the oil Laddie and check the gas"
http://wn.com/Beaufort_9_in_the_North_Sea

[tymeric]

Not sure but I believe it's really down to the cost of development, license bock, type of oil/gas and the size and geographical location of the field.

The following map gives a rough idea of the number of smaller fields just in the southern area of the North Sea, apart from the middle and northern areas

http://www.acorn-ps.com/web/image/conte ... ns_map.jpg

It would be cheaper to run a pipeline a few kilometers from a wellhead to an existing platform network to shore rather than the costs associated with setting up/contracting an FPSO

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floating_p ... offloading

[ziggy12345]

The infrastructure for larger fields is kept in place and utilised for smaller marginal fields as long as they are not to far away FPSO's are used a lot on smaller fields and make economic sence. They can be placed in the middle of smaller feilds and reusable temporary pipelines laid from a number of smaller fields. Oil is transfered into tankers using a single point morring system SPM.

Cheers

[Totally_Baffled]

The infrastructure for larger fields is kept in place and utilised for smaller marginal fields as long as they are not to far away FPSO's are used a lot on smaller fields and make economic sence. They can be placed in the middle of smaller feilds and reusable temporary pipelines laid from a number of smaller fields. Oil is transfered into tankers using a single point morring system SPM.

Cheers

Thanks Ziggy.

So you in your view, if there was a number of fields that were not developed (for whatever reason), but were then revisited long after perhaps the larger ones had been abandoned - and the infrastructure dismantled - would the still be economical in the $120 - $150 per barrel range?