The Discovery and Development of the Brae Area Fields, U.K. South Viking Graben

Abstract

Abstract Sixteen oil and gas fields have been discovered and developed along the western margin of the South Viking Graben in Quadrant 16 of the United Kingdom Continental Shelf. Late Jurassic extension created the graben, and submarine fan conglomerates and sandstones along its margin form most of the fields’ reservoirs. In the early 1970s, 2-D seismic was able to identify structures beneath the Base Cretaceous unconformity, which became the targets for initial drilling. The first well was Shell’s 16/8-1 in 1972, drilled toward the graben center. This well found hydrocarbons in interbedded sandstones and shales later developed as the Kingfisher field. Drilling in the more proximal Brae Formation conglomerates began in 1974 when 16/7-1 discovered the North Brae gas condensate field. However, an appraisal well to the south found an oil column, and this subsequently became Central Brae field. In 1976, drilling on another submarine fan two blocks to the south discovered the Thelma field. However, the key to developing the area was the discovery of the world-class South Brae oil field in 1978. This was rapidly appraised in the next two years and the Brae A platform was installed, with first oil produced in 1983. Meanwhile, the compulsorily relinquished portions of Blocks 16/7 and 16/8 were awarded to BP and Conoco, respectively, who discovered the Miller field extending across the block boundary in 1982. A further four platforms have been installed in the area: Brae B on North Brae, onstream in 1988; Miller in 1992; and East Brae and Tiffany in 1993. A further 12 fields have been developed by subsea tieback or by extended reach drilling. A billion barrels of oil and 7 tcf of gas have been produced from these fields.