A new tool aimed at providing operators and licensees with a framework to re-evaluate methods to improve recovery from existing North Sea oil and gas assets is launched this week on the OGUK website. Developed through industry collaboration, the tool provides a detailed process for identifying opportunities to learn from industry-leading practice.

An industry task group supporting the Oil and Gas Authority’s Asset Stewardship Task Force, created the Reserves Progression self-verification check-list tool to promote good practice, and information-sharing. Using it will help operators improve overall recovery rates and extend the productive life of the UK Continental Shelf.

Co-chair of the task group, Katy Heidenreich, said:
“Current data shows there are over 2 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) in near-field opportunities that could potentially be unlocked through the promotion of good practice and innovation.  Many of these opportunities may be marginal, technically difficult and geologically complex; this tool gives industry a consistent, integrated and systematic approach to progressing these resources and reserves. Improving our stewardship of these assets and collectively finding ways to increase the UKCS recovery factor from 43% means there’s an opportunity to add many millions of extra barrels of vital production using our existing infrastructure.”

Fellow co-chair, Tony McGarva, said:
“Companies can use the Reserves Progression checklist to identify, review and re-evaluate the potential opportunities for increasing oil and gas recovery in all aspects of their activities including reservoir management, well and production systems, and reassess where processes could be refined to unlock otherwise undeveloped reserves. With industry experts collaborating to develop this tool, it’s designed to be easily incorporated into current processes so helping to drive continuous improvement in performance.”

Scott Robertson, Co-Chair of Asset Stewardship Taskforce and Area Manager, Central North Sea for the Oil & Gas Authority said:
“The OGA has previously highlighted the 2bn boe resource prize that exists within existing producing fields, and I’m delighted that a small group of experts in progressing resource opportunities have combined their experience to develop this self-assessment tool.

“The tool incorporates good practices and leading behaviours, and operators will be able to use this tool to determine whether their organisations, processes, and procedures are set up to deliver oil and gas opportunities consistent with those operators who already do it well.”

The tool can be found here.   l   KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Oil & Gas UK