Excellent stuff. I'd go for Shelley as the tenth, if only for being horribly predictable. There's another video too - fields that massively over-performed. Maybe the same lack of subsurface understanding?
@@mikecooper2093 Cook and Chestnut maybe? Howe possibly too, although straying a bit further from my knowledge base with the last one. There's probably a table of FDP/Annex B reserves vs. Produced volumes somewhere. It mainly strays into getting the in-place volumes wrong I suspect. I do like a disaster though, we learn far more.
@@peterwood1041 Spoiler alert - everyone I have spoken to includes Cook on their list. It is going to be hard to not award this field No.1 slot - but let's not get ahead of ourselves......... I personally would like a lot less disasters........
Thank you for this video. Clipper South is still producing, having been re-routed via the Shell Bacton facilities. I worked for Clipper South (now operated by INEOS) between 2018-2021 and it was my impression both the original development and the re-routing were clear successes, with excellent subsurface, wells and facilities engineering work.
Thanks Orlando. I worked on a gasfield that wasn't as lucky as Clipper South to be able to withstand the cost of rerouting from LOGGS/Theddlethorpe to Bacton. Fortunately Clipper South had sufficient remaining reserves to warrant rerouting. I understand it was nominated as an example of a field which, through no fault of it's own, almost had it's fate determined by external factors. We were struggling to find an oilfield example - so it was the only gasfield on the list. Looming in the not-too-distant future will be a domino effect where the combined cost of SVT and the BSP & NPS pipelines will eventually become uneconomic and cause the premature closure of an entire basin - now there's a video! I believe in just about every other way, as you state Orlando, Clipper South was a success and does not deserve to be on this list. Thank you for pointing this out and best wishes.
Very interesting as someone who left the north sea in 1997 fascinating to see what happened next. I recommend "North Sea Scorecard" SPE 15358 for a 1980's look at what went well and badly most of original giant developments were financially successful despite irrational exuberance . I also have a nominee for #10 from the 1980's, check out Tartan (Texaco) where urban legend had it the first development well was a dry hole, fortunately they were able to pivot change the conceptual model (got a couple of years grace from Piper Alpha) and make a partial success and bring in a bunch of satellites which went well in Highlander/Petronella. The platform sat about a mile off all the future wells though. Plenty of examples where A01 is the best well in the field which brings its own issues. I have a couple of personnel nightmares from West Africa as well which have served me well for 20+ years.
Thanks for your comments and support Mark. Tartan was discussed with a major fault located underneath the platform but it performed well over a long life. I am convinced there are reserves still to be recovered in the area. Not just Perth, with one of the longest oil columns in the North Sea but potential in the Supra-Piper and other leads and prospects identified in the area. The problem here is poor seismic quality due to thick and shallow channels in the overburden with poor velocity control. I remember part-funding a shoot in this area and getting very disappointing results. We may do a "Top 10 Worst Oilfields Globally" video at some stage. Would love to hear about your West African candidates. You can reach us at info@1stsom.com. Will check out the paper you recommend. Thanks again, ATB, Mike
Hi Mark, it wasn't just urban legend. The first well, a vertical well from the platform drilled the hade of the fault between the Upthrown and Downthrown fault blocks so did indeed miss the reservoir. The seismic of the time was not of sufficient quality to image the fault. Things have move on a lot since then......
When will the Outeniqua Basin video be out? Lots of drama there, Shells seismic put in hold, TotalEnergies EPS which would feed the MosselBay GTL with gas...
Hi Jonas, Was reviewing the script this morning. The great news is, you won't have to put up with my dulcet tones for this video as we have a new presenter - and it should be a very very informative. Was hoping to get input from regulator in RSA but awaiting their response. It will be published within the next week, whether we hear from companies involved or not.
Hope you are enjoying Mark Jones videos on Southern Africa. He's fantastic! Want to get him doing more and more videos but he talks of enjoying retirement and having fun. Some people eh!
Linnhe didn’t cover itself in glory. I believe it was the field that was the fastest “first oil to failure” in the North Sea due to the flow line to Beryl Bravo repeatedly waxing up. After several xylene sweeps Mobil(& partners) abandoned it.
Hi Angela, I was at DTI when the FDP was approved. Left before it came on stream. Similar story then to Staffa? Shame, as the Linnhe discovery was exciting at the time. Hope all's well. ATB, Mike
Hi Thierry. Indeed Cladhan looked to be a significant discovery but the appraisal/development wells proved up a much smaller oil-in-place than initially thought. That’s my recollection anyway.
