Located about 273 miles (440 kilometers) northeast of Aberdeen in the UK sector of the North Sea, the Greater Alwyn Area encompasses a number of oil and gas fields, including Alwyn, Dunbar, Nuggets, Ellon, Grant, Forvie, Jura and Islay. Wholly owned and operated by Total, this area has been producing for more than 20 years, and the company expects to continue to produce here for many years to come.

Alwyn North

Discovered in October 1975, Alwyn North is located on Blocks 3/4A, 3/9A and 3/10B in a water depth of 413 feet (126 meters). Brought into production in November 1987, Alwyn North was developed as a production hub for the area with two platforms and the ability to produce approximately 140,000 boepd.

The Alwyn North A (NAA) facility is a four-legged drilling platform with accommodation capabilities of 300 personnel. The drilling derrick is set above the wellhead area, and there are slots for 40 wells. Constructed of eight legs, platform B (NAB) consists of the processing facilities and is linked to platform A via a 240-foot (73-meter) bridge 102 feet (31 meters) above the water. Recovered hydrocarbons are transmitted from A to B via this bridge for processing and export to the pipelines.

John Brown/Sofresid designed both of the jackets for the platforms, and RGC performed the fabrication. Foster Wheeler handled the topsides for platform A, and J. Ray McDermott tackled the topsides for platform B. J. Ray also constructed the wellhead module, drilling substructure and piles. Brown & Root handled pipeline installation, while Heerema installed the jackets and topsides.

Through a 12-inch-diameter pipeline, oil travels 32.5 miles (52.3 kilometers) to the Cormorant Alpha platform, where it is then transported through the remaining 95 miles (153 kilometers) to Sullom Voe Terminal via the Brent Pipeline System. Gas is exported via a 24-inch-diameter pipeline to TP1 or the Frigg bypass, and then to St. Fergus Gas Terminal via the MCP-01.

Dunbar

Discovered in 1973, Dunbar is located on Blocks 3/14A, 3/13A, 3/8A, 3/9B and 3/14B, which is 14 miles (22 kilometers) south of Alwyn North in 476 feet (145 meters) of water. The field was brought into production in conjunction with the Alwyn North hub facilities in 1994.

Field development includes a wellhead platform with slots for 28 wells, a test separator and two multi-phase pumps. Designed by the Poseidon Project, a group effort between Total and the Institut Francais Petrole, the pumps increase production by simultaneously pumping liquids and compressing gas. Hydrocarbons are transported to the Alwyn North facilities via a 16-inch-diameter multi-phase flowline.

Ellon

Located on Blocks 3/15 and 3/14A, 6 miles (9 kilometers) south of Dunbar, Ellon was discovered in 1973. Developed as a subsea satellite field to Dunbar, Ellon is linked to the Dunbar wellhead platform via a flowline and control umbilical. The field commenced production in 1994.

Forvie North

Discovered in June 2002, approximately 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the Dunbar wellhead platform and 21 miles (33 kilometers) from the Alwyn North facilities, Forvie North is located in 394 feet (120 meters) of water on UK North Sea Block 3/15.

Granted approval in April 2005, Forvie North field development encompassed a subsea system. The field requires a single well, but the system was designed with the ability to tie-in additional wells from promising prospects nearby. The subsea system was tied to the Alwyn North facilities via a high-pressure gas-condensate pipeline. Production from Forvie North commenced in December 2005 with rates reaching 71 MMcf/d (2 MMcm/d) and 2,000 bopd.

Grant

Discovered in 1997 and first brought into production in 1998, the Grant oil and gas field is situated on Block 3/14a and 3/14d, approximately 2 miles (3 kilometers) south of Dunbar. In April 2006, Grant production was re-routed from Dunbar to the Alwyn North facilities, via the North Forvie pipeline. The Grant subsea manifold is located in 456 feet (139 meters) of water with production reaching 2,000 bopd and natural gas production hitting 56 MMcf/d (1.6 MMcm/d).

Nuggets

The Nuggets field consists of four gas-bearing accumulations on Blocks 3/19A, 3/20A, 3/24A, 3/25A, 3/18B, 3/19B and 3/24C about 12 miles (20 kilometers) south of Dunbar. The Nuggets field's four accumulations are referred to as N1, N2, N3 and N4, and were discovered in 1972, 1989, 1991 and 1974, respectively.

N1 is the largest gas accumulation and was developed via two subsea wells, connected by a subsea manifold. N2 and N3 are produced via one subsea well each, which is connected to another manifold. These four wells commenced production in November 2001. Connected to the N3 manifold via an 8-mile (13-kilometer) subsea pipeline, N4 is produced via a single subsea well, which started producing in October 2003. The Nuggets field produces 153 MMcf/d (4.3 MMcm/d) through five wells.

Natural gas from the Nuggets subsea system is transported to the Alwyn North facilities via a 25-mile (40-kilometer) pipeline. Modified to accept petroleum from Nuggets, the Alwyn North processing platform B underwent tie-in adjustments, as well as obtaining a new dedicated receiving vessel. The Dunbar wellhead platform controls the subsea system via a fiber-optic link between Dunbar and the Alwyn North facilities, which includes hydraulic power, controls, a corrosion inhibitor and a hydrate inhibitor.

Jura

A High Pressure/High Temperature field, Total discovered Jura on Block 3/15 in 371 feet (113 meters) of water in November 2006. Located 6 miles (10 kilometers) east of the Dunbar field, Jura is developed via two subsea wells tied-back to the Forvie North subsea manifold, which connects to the Alwyn North processing platform. Subsea 7 was contracted to design, fabricate and install a 2-mile (3-kilometer) pipeline bundle system to link the Jura-1 and Jura-2 wells to Forvie North.

Expected to produce 50,000 boepd at plateau, Jura commenced production in May 2008. The field has proven and probable reserves of 170 MMboe.

Islay

In June 2008, Total made another discovery in the Greater Alwyn Area with the drilling of Islay on Block 3/15 near the Jura field. With a confirmed production rate of 8,800 boe/d or 43 MMcf/d (1.22 MMcm/d), field development plans call for the connection of the field to existing infrastructure in the area.

The field commenced production on April 24, 2012.