The Innes Field: Complete History of a Marginal Subsea Development

Abstract

The Innes field, lying in Block 30/24 of the UK North Sea was discovered in 1983. After a single appraisal well had been drilled and an extended production test on the initial discovery well, estimated reserves were uncertain but low. Economic development of the field was achieved in two phases, using low cost proven technology in an innovative manner. The first phase involved the use of a floating production facility. In the second phase the economic field life was extended by the tieback and production of the Innes field as a remote subsea satellite, 14 km from the floating production facilities at the Argyll Field. The Innes field produced in this mode until cessation of production in December 1990. Material balance modelling confirms the drive mechanism as solution gas drive, supported by minimal aquifer influx, with the migration of mobile gas to form a secondary gas cap. Total recovery by the end of field life has been 5.8 MMSTB, equating to a recovery factor of approximately 30 %.