Conoco Shutters UK Theddlethorpe Terminal
ConocoPhillips on August 15 confirmed the cessation of its UK southern North Sea (SNS) gas production activities and is now continuing with decommissioning work there, a spokesperson told NGW August 15.
"The flow of natural gas from the Theddlethorpe Gas Terminal (TGT) to the UK National Grid ceased at 5am this morning (Wednesday, 15 August 2018). Although ConocoPhillips production has ceased in the Southern North Sea, our operations will continue in the area for a number of years as we progress through the decommissioning work-scopes for the wells, platforms and pipelines in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. ConocoPhillips has had decommissioning works ongoing in the SNS since 2014, starting with the Viking area," she said.
Theddlethorpe terminal, built 1972, received and processed gas from three offshore pipeline systems: Lincolnshire Offshore Gas Gathering System, Caister Murdoch System and the third-party operated Pickerill System. The US major announced in April 2018 it was halting production offshore Lincolnshire with the loss of 450 jobs. The closure was talked about since 2016 and decided last year.
Theddlethorpe processed and inputted to the national gas grid almost 2bn ft3/d (20.7bn m3/yr) at its peak many years ago, but the volume of flows through the site has been steadily declining for years.
Among third-party operated fields that have closed, as they feed into systems landing gas at Theddlethorpe, are Faroe-operated Ketch and Schooner; the company said they would shut a week ago.
ConocoPhillips continues to produce from a number of UK fields in both the central North Sea (chiefly the Britannia field and its satellites, plus J-Area fields) and the eastern Irish Sea.
UK dependency on imported gas fell to 46% in 2017, from 47% in 2016 as new West of Shetland fields have started up recently. But the overall long-term UK trend – despite new fields like Total-operated Culzean in the North Sea due to start up 2020 – is for rising imports, because of the decommissioning of ageing fields such as Conoco's SNS fields.
The bottom line shows zero gas flows arriving via Theddlethorpe Aug.15 at and shortly after 4pm local time (3pm GMT) - Credit: National Grid