Chevron Netherlands Announces Successful Production of First Gas from B13 Field

Chevron Exploration and Production Netherlands B.V. (interest in A/B blocks 34.129%), a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation, together with its joint venture partners, Dyas B.V. (14.627%), TAQA Offshore B.V. (3.877%) and EBN B.V. (47.377%), on behalf of the State of the Netherlands, announced today the successful production of first gas from the B13 field, part of its shallow gas development project in the A&B blocks of the Dutch part of the Continental Shelf.

The B13 Project is the next step in developing the shallow gas fields in the A/B blocks following the A12 development, which was brought online exactly 4 years ago. B13 gas will be processed at the A12 Central Processing Platform, which will allow the Central Processing Platform to operate at full processing capacity (3.35 million m3/day – 125 MMSCF/day). Natural gas production from the B13 field commenced on 19th December 2011; production is currently approximately 1 million/m3/day (37.2 million standard cubic feet (MMSCF)/day) and still ramping up.

The B13 field is located in block B13 approximately 260 kilometers north of Den Helder and is the second stage of Chevron’s multi-phase development of shallow gas fields in the A&B blocks of the Dutch part of the Continental Shelf. The development of the B13 field included the installation of a platform in block B13, a pipeline connecting the B13 platform to the A12 Central Processing Platform and 4 development wells. The gas from the B13 field will, together with gas from the A12 field, be transported to Den Helder through the A6-F3 and NOGAT pipelines.

Gerard Schut, General Manager of Chevron Exploration and Production Netherlands B.V. said, “First gas from the B13 field is a significant accomplishment given the technically challenging environment of the shallow gas fields in the A&B blocks. The development of fields like the A12 and the B13 fields underscores Chevron’s commitment to making incremental investments in our North Sea assets and demonstrates our ability to execute projects with focus on safety and the environment even under challenging conditions. Bringing B13 to production safely and on schedule is a significant achievement for the project team and all others within Chevron Exploration and Production Netherlands who have supported their efforts.”

Jan Dirk Bokhoven, CEO of EBN B.V., said: “The B13 field is another excellent example of the potential for production of shallow gas from the Dutch Continental Shelf. Successes like these prove that it is very rewarding to invest in exploration and production in the Netherlands”.

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Offshore Nieuws Staff, December 21, 2011