The Tern Field, Block 210/25a, UK North Sea
AbstractThe Tern Oilfield is situated 150 km northeast of the Shetland Islands in Block 210/25a in the UK sector of the northern North Sea. The discovery well 210/25-1 was drilled in 1975 in a water depth of about 541 ft. The trap is defined at around 8000 ft TVSS by a tilted horst-structure. The hydrocarbons are contained in reservoirs belonging to the Middle Jurassic Brent Group sands deposited by a wave-dominated delta system in the East Shetland Basin. Complex faulting of the structure is responsible for the division of the field into two areas with different original oil-water contacts: the Main Area of the field with an oil-water contact at 8260 ft TVSS, and the Northern Area with a possible oil-water contact at 8064 ft TVSS. Reservoir quality is good with average porosities ranging from 20-24% and an average permeability of 350 md. The expected STOIIP and ultimate recovery of oil are 452 and 175 MMBBL, respectively which represents a recovery factor of 39%.The initial stage of the development plan calls for ten wells, five oil producers and five water injectors, to be drilled from a single platform, Tern Alpha. Development drilling started in February 1989 and first oil was produced on 2 June 1989. The oil is evacuated via the North Cormorant and Cormorant Alpha platforms into the Brent System pipeline for export to the Sullom Voe terminal.To date, two producers have b een drilled and total cumulative production is 6.4 MMBBL (1 January 1990). Ultimate recovery is estimated to be some 175 MMBBL.