Clipper South
Clipper South Discovery Area
Fairfield equity = 50% (P465, P008)
Asset Overview
The Clipper South Potential Producing Area is located off the east coast of England, 169km from the Theddlethorpe Gas Terminal. Water depth is 80 ft.
Clipper South is a substantial gas accumulation close to existing infrastructure at Shell UK’s Clipper Field (7 km) and Conoco/BP’s LOGGS Platform (15 km). The Esmond Transportation System (‘‘ETS’’) pipeline from Trent-Tyne to Bacton is also 13 km to the west.
Background & Exploration History
Clipper South lies within the prolific Southern North Sea gas province, south of the Clipper-Barque cluster, west of the Viking Complex and northeast of Anglia. The field is reservoired in Lower Permian wind-blown sandstones belonging to the Rotliegendes Group. The underlying Carboniferous Coal Measures are the source of the dry gas.
Two wells have been drilled to date on Clipper South. The discovery well 48/19a-3 was drilled in 1982 and was subsequently appraised in 1992 by well 48/19c-13 and its sidetrack 48/19c-13z. Both wells were tested and flowed gas to surface.
The net to gross within the Rotliegendes section is high, exceeding 80 per cent. in the gas leg. Reservoir properties vary between facies, although typically the aeolian sandstones have 10–12 per cent. porosity and permeability which can vary from <0.1mD to 100mD.
Clipper South is imaged by several 3D seismic surveys which were merged and reprocessed during 2008. The data clearly defines the Clipper South trap as a south to south-westerly dipping fault block, bounded by a fault on its northern flank and dip closed to the east, south and west. Pre-Stack Depth Migration of the 3D data was completed on 31 March 2010 and may further refine Fairfield’s understanding of the Top Rotliegendes reservoir and facilitate detailed development well trajectory planning.
In summary the two wells in Clipper South, together with data from adjacent fields confirm a Rotliegendes dry gas field, in which production can be enhanced through stimulation via hydraulic fracturing of the reservoir. The operator, RWE, estimates P50 GIIP at 502 Bcf, which is greater than the estimate provided by Gaffney, Cline & Associates.
Three part blocks make up the Clipper South Potential Producing Area. Part Blocks 48/19a and 48/20a were originally awarded to Shell UK (operator, 50 per cent.) and Esso (50 per cent.) in the 1st Licensing Round in 1964. Part Block 48/19c was awarded to the same partnership in the 8th License Round in 1983. FAL acquired a 100 per cent. interest and operatorship in Clipper South from subsidiaries of Shell and ExxonMobil in January and March 2008. In July 2009, Fairfield farmed down 50 per cent. of its interest and transferred operatorship to RWE in return for RWE carrying certain development costs for Fairfield in order to capitalise on RWE’s experience and technical expertise.
In August 2010 Fairfield signed a farm-in agreement with Bayern Gas. Under the terms of this agreement Bayern Gas will acquire a 25% interest from Fairfield in return for carrying certain development costs and contributing to past costs.
Image Map
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Operations
Fairfield has full or partial ownership of six assets within the North Sea, transforming discoveries into productive capacity.
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Darwin
The Darwin field is located in the Northern North Sea approximately 130km northeast of the Shetland Islands.
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Clipper South
Fairfield acquired a 100% interest in the Clipper South Discovery Area in 2008, assigning 50% to RWE DEA UK SNS Ltd in July 2009.
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Staffa
The Staffa Oilfield is located in the NNS. Fairfield was awarded 100% interest in block 3/8d in the 25th Licensing Round in 2009.
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