The Saturn Banks Project comprises six natural gas reservoirs and gas production facilities in the southern North Sea, 35-55 km north east of Bacton, Norfolk. The fields are under development and first gas is due in 2022.
The fields The Saturn Banks Project includes the Blythe, Elgood, Southwark, Elland, Nailsworth and Goddard gas fields in the UK offshore Quadrants 48 and 49.
Details of the gas fields is summarised in the table. +Saturn Banks field dataField nameBlytheElgoodSouthwarkEllandNailsworthGoddardFormer nameVulcan SouthVulcan EastVulcan North WestGleinBlocks48/2248/2349/21c49/21a48/25a,b48/11Year discovered196619912000200619871994Original licenseeBurmahEnterprise OilConocoPhillipsSilverstone EnergyShell/ExxonArcoGas reservoir geologyPermian RotliegendRotliegendRotliegendRotliegendRotliegendGas in place, billion cubic feet332294.25599.4132
Development The Saturn Banks Project is being developed by IOG plc as the project operator; it holds a 50% stake and CalEnergy Resources (UK) also holds a 50% stake.
The gas fields are developed in stages. The first phase comprised the Blythe, Elgood and Southwark fields. These are developed by offshore platforms, subsea wellheads and pipelines. Details are summarised in the table. +Saturn Banks InstallationsFieldBlytheElgoodSouthwarkBlock4/2248/2349/21Installation nameBlythe–SouthwarkInstallation typeFixed steel platformSubsea wellheadFixed steel platformCoordinates53° 18.331'N 01° 23.171'EInstalledJune 2021June 2021Water depth, metres303030Substructure weight, tonnes1,0501,300Topsides weight, tonnes750–900No. of legsMonotower–4No. of Wells113Gas export toBlythe hub on Thames pipelineBlytheSouthwark hub on Thames pipelineExport pipeline length, diameter24.5 km, 12-inch9.1 km, 6-inch5.9 km, 24-inchPipeline number (gas)PL4943Control umbilical/ methanol supplyTo ElgoodFrom Blythe–Umbilical length, diameter9.1 km, 5-inch–Umbilical/Pipeline number–
The pipelines from Blythe and Southwark platforms are tied into the reused Thames to Bacton 24-inch pipeline (PL370), renamed the Saturn Banks Pipeline System.
In addition to the offshore development the Saturn Banks reception facilities at Bacton gas terminal were installed.
Later phases of the Saturn Banks Project will include the Nailsworth, Elland and Goddard gas fields. Nailsworth is projected to be produced through the Southwark platform.
See also
Thames gas field Bacton gas terminal List of oil and gas fields of the North Sea
References