Initial production from the UK’s West of Shetland Laggan and Tormore natural gas fields is expected to start in the third quarter of this year, minority owner Dong Energy has told ICIS.
The fields, which are 80% owned by French oil and gas major Total, will deliver gas into the British system at the entry point of St Fergus Total.
When operations begin the gas will be transported through the SIRGE pipeline to be processed at the Shetland Gas Plant. It will then join the existing Total-operated Frigg UK (FUKA) line.
FUKA will then carry the gas from the Alwyn area of the North Sea to the St Fergus Gas Terminal on the northeast coast of Scotland.
The SIRGE pipeline has a capacity of 19 million cubic metres (mcm)/day, while the Laggan and Tormore fields will have a capacity of 14mcm/day, according to local press.
Peak production at the fields is not expected until 2015.
The West of Shetland area is thought to be one of the most promising remaining areas of the UK North Sea in terms of gas production, and its potential has prompted British system operator National Grid to forecast a rebound in North Sea production between 2015-2018 ( see ESGM 19 July 2013 )
Total is the operator of the fields, while Dong owns a 20% stake. Total was unavailable for comment by Wednesday afternoon. Jack Elliott