Cross-border petroleum geology in the North Sea: an introduction

2022 ◽  
pp. SP494-2021-182
Author(s):  
Stuart G. Archer ◽  
Henk Kombrink ◽  
Stefano Patruno ◽  
Domenico Chiarella ◽  
Christopher Jackson ◽  
...  

AbstractThe North Sea has entered a phase of infrastructure-led exploration in an attempt to extend the economic lives of the main fields and arrest the overall production decline to a certain extent, while the transition to a future low-carbon use of the basin is also in progress. As the papers in this volume demonstrate, in order to find, appraise and develop the mostly smaller near-field opportunities as well as making sure to grasp the opportunities of the near-future energy transition, a regional understanding of the North Sea is still critical. Even more so, a cross-border approach is essential because 1) some of the plays currently being targeted have a clear cross-border element, 2) it allows the comparison of stratigraphic names throughout the entire basin and 3) it enables explorers to learn lessons from one part of the rift to be applied somewhere else.This volume offers an up-to-date, ‘geology-without-borders’ view of the stratigraphy, sedimentology, tectonics and oil-and-gas exploration trends of the entire North Sea basin. The challenges associated with data continuity and nomenclature differences across median lines are discussed and mitigated. Examples of under-exploited cross-border plays and discoveries are discussed.

2021 ◽  
pp. SP494-2020-236
Author(s):  
David G. Quirk ◽  
John R. Underhill ◽  
Jon G. Gluyas ◽  
Matthew J. Howe ◽  
Hamish A. M. Wilson ◽  
...  

AbstractHuman emissions of greenhouse gases have caused a predictable rise of 1.2°C in global temperatures. Over the last 70 years, the rise has occurred at a geologically unprecedented speed and scale. To avoid a worsening situation, most developed nations are turning to renewable sources of power to meet their climate commitments, including UK, Norway, Denmark and The Netherlands. The North Sea basin offers many advantages in the transition from fossil fuels by virtue of its natural resources, physical setting, offshore infrastructure and skilled workforce. Nonetheless, the magnitude of the up-front costs and the areas required to achieve net zero emissions are rarely acknowledged. In addition, some of the technologies being planned are commercially immature. In particular, the current cost of capture, transport and disposal of carbon dioxide is problematic, if it is to be applied as a large-scale solution to industrial emissions. To repurpose the North Sea to meet a low-carbon future will require substantial collaboration between governments and industrial sectors. There are nonetheless significant opportunities for companies prepared to switch from the traditional oil and gas business.Supplementary material at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5684641


2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 427
Author(s):  
Adrian Del Maestro ◽  
Craig Stevens

As part of the Sea Change campaign, we looked at the evolution of the UK North Sea, interviewing over 20 senior stakeholders across the value chain ranging from operators, oil services and regulators, to academia, private equity and banks. We collected their views across three themes: (1) Competitiveness of the basin – Recognition that the supply chain in the basin has been exposed to enough pressure and was not sustainable going forward. New business models were required to incentivise collaboration between operators and oil services. (2) Investment in the basin – Respondents confirmed that private equity and smaller operators would continue to play a major role. However, in a post private equity world, the emergence of private capital from developing countries might proliferate in the North Sea. (3) Energy transition and impact on the basin – For investors it was increasingly challenging to justify investments in oil and gas due to commodity price volatility and growing concerns around environmental, social and governance themes. Nevertheless, the sector had a need to articulate the value it brought and the importance of hydrocarbons in facilitating the energy transition. The basin has the potential to become a ‘test laboratory’ for the energy transition – from low carbon solutions to decommissioning. All these themes are extremely relevant to the Australian upstream sector. We explore the emergence of new partnership models between operators and oil field services and how a mature basin continues to attract investment and adapt to a lower carbon world.


First Break ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 31-43
Author(s):  
David G. Quirk ◽  
John R. Underhill ◽  
Jon G. Gluyas ◽  
Hamish A.M. Wilson ◽  
Matthew J. Howe ◽  
...  

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. e037558
Author(s):  
Anne Waje-Andreassen ◽  
Øyvind Østerås ◽  
Guttorm Brattebø

ObjectivesFew studies have described evacuations due to medical emergencies from the offshore installations in the North Sea, though efficient medical service is essential for the industrial activities in this area. The major oil- and gas-producing companies’ search and rescue (SAR) service is responsible for medical evacuations. Using a prospective approach, we describe the characteristics of patients evacuated by SAR.Design and settingA prospective observational study of the offshore primary care provided by SAR in the North Sea.MethodsPatients were identified by linking flight information from air transport services in 2015/2016 and the company’s medical record system. Standardised forms filled out by SAR nurses during the evacuation were also analysed. In-hospital information was obtained retrospectively from Haukeland University Hospital’s information system.ResultsA total of 381 persons (88% men) were evacuated during the study period. Twenty-seven per cent of missions were due to chest pain and 18% due to trauma. The mean age was 46.0 years. Severity scores were higher for cases due to medical conditions compared with trauma, but the scores were relatively low compared with onshore emergency missions. The busiest months were May, July and December. Weekends were the busiest days.ConclusionThree times as many evacuations from offshore installations are performed due to acute illness than trauma, and cardiac problems are the most common. Although most patients are not severely physiologically deranged, the study documents a need for competent SAR services 24 hours a day year-round. Training and certification should be tailored for the SAR service, as the offshore health service structure and geography differs from the structure onshore.


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