Ravenspurn South Field, Blocks 42/29, 42/30, 43/26, UK North Sea

Abstract

Abstract The Ravenspurn South Gas Field is located in the Sole Pit Basin of the Southern North Sea in UKCS Block 42/30, extending into Blocks 42/29 and 43/26. The gas is trapped in sandstones of the Permian Lower Leman Sandstone Formation, which was deposited by aeolian and fluvial processes in a desert environment. Reservoir quality is poor, and variations are mostly facies-controlled. The best reservoir quality occurs in aeolian sands wth porosities of up to 23% and permeabilities up to 90 md. The trap is a NW-SE-striking faulted anticline: top seal is provided by the Silverpit Shales directly overlying the reservoir, and by Zechstein halites. Field development began early in 1988 and first gas was delivered in October 1989. Production is in tandem with the Cleeton Field, about 5 miles southwest of Ravenspurn South, as the Villages project. Initial reserves are 700 BCF and field life is expected to be 20 years.