The UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) last year saw an improved production efficiency for the seventh consecutive year and for 2019 reached 80%, three years ahead of the 2022 target.
REGIONS
Figures from the 2019 Production Efficiency Report by the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) show an increase of five percentage points from 2018, with every region of the UKCS reporting a rise, except West of Shetland which remained unchanged.
The rise was driven by a 25% reduction in production losses, representing 50 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe).
Plant losses fell by 29% and planned shutdowns ran to schedule with just a 1% overrun on scheduled time compared with 15% overrun in 2018.
EMISSIONS
OGA said that all regions of the North Sea saw an increase in actual wellhead production from the previous year, except for the Southern North Sea.
“Increased production efficiency often corresponds to lower emissions intensity on production facilities, and the 23% improvement since 2014 has contributed to around 10% reduction in carbon emissions per barrel of oil produced over the same period.”
The report highlights a 40% decrease in losses from unplanned shutdowns, and a 26% reduction in losses from planned shutdowns.