AbstractThe Emerald Oil Field lies in Blocks 2/10a, 2/15a and 3/1 lb in the UK sector of the northern North Sea. The field is located on the 'Transitional Shelf, an area on the western flank of the Viking Graben, downfaulted from the East Shetland Platform. The first well was drilled on the structure in 1978. Subsequently, a further seven wells have been drilled to delineate the field.The Emerald Field is an elongate dip and fault closed structure subparallel to the local NW-SE regional structural trend. the 'Emerald Sandstone' forms the main reservoir of the field and comprises a homogeneous transgressive unit of Callovian to Bathonian age, undelain by tilted Precambrian and Devonian Basement Horst blocks. Sealing is provided by siltstones and shales of the overlying Healther and Kimmeridge Clay Formations. The reservoir lies at depths between 5150-5600 ft, and wells drilled to date have encountered pay thicknesses of 42-74 ft. Where the sandstone is hydrocarbon bearing, it has a 100% net/ gross ratio. Porosities average 28% and permeabilities lie in the range 0-1 to 1.3 darcies. Wireline and test data indicate that the field contains a continouous oil column of 200 ft. Three distinct structural culminations exist on and adjacent to the field, which give rise to three separate gas caps, centred around wells 2/10a-4, 2/10a-7 and 2/10a-6 The maximum flow rate achieved from the reservoir to date is 6822 BOPD of 24° API oil with a GOR of 300 SCF/STBBL. In-place hydrocarbons are estimated to be 216 MMBBL of oil and 61 BCF of gas, with an estimated 43 MMBBL of oil recoverable by the initial development plan. initial development drilling began in Spring 1989 and the development scheme will use a floating production system. Production to the facility, via flexible risers, is from seven pre-drilled deviated wells with gas lift. An additional four pre-drilled water injection wells will provide reservoir pressure support.
Argyll Field: the first oil field to be developed on the UK Continental Shelf
