| Brent | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Region | North Sea |
| Location | East Shetland Basin |
| Block | 211/29 |
| Offshore/onshore | Offshore |
| Coordinates | 60°54′N 1°48′E / 60.900°N 1.800°E |
| Operator | Shell UK Limited |
| Partners | Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil |
| Field history | |
| Discovery | 1971 |
| Start of production | 1976 |
| Peak year | 1982 |
| Production | |
| Producing formations | Brent Group |
The Brent field was an oil and gas field operated by Shell UK Limited. It was located in 470ft of water, in the East Shetland Basin of the North Sea, 186 kilometres (116 mi) north-east of Lerwick in the Shetland Islands, Scotland.
The field was discovered in 1971 with the 211/29-1 well which was drilled by the Shell owned 'Staflo' semi-submersible drilling rig.[1] At the time, this was the world's most northerly well ever drilled.[2] Appraisal of the discovery was not possible until 1972 due to the severe winter weather conditions of the Northern North Sea and the limited capabilities of contemporary drilling rigs.[2] A total of 6 appraisal wells were drilled to allow the full potential of the field to be evaluated. The original oil/condensate-in-place and wet gas-in-place were estimated at 3.8 billion barrels and 7.5 trillion cubic feet respectively.[3]
The field was developed with 4 large fixed platforms: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, which were installed between 1975 and 1978. First oil was achieved in 1976.[3] A total initial investment of £3 billion was required to develop the field, install the infrastructure, drill the wells and bring the oil and gas to shore.[4]
Brent was once one of the most productive parts of the UK's offshore assets but has now been fully decommissioned after reaching the end of its economic life. All four platforms were removed from the field between 2017 and 2024 by the Pioneering Spirit, the world's largest vessel by tonnage.
- ^ "Shell-Esso Finds North Sea Oilfield". The New York Times. 8 August 1972.
- ^ a b "The Development Of The Brent Field-A Complex Of Projects". Society of Petroleum Engineers SPE-7530-MS.
- ^ a b Taylor, S. R.; Almond, J.; Arnott, S.; Kemshell, D.; Taylor, D. (2003). "The Brent Field, Block 211/29, UK North Sea". Geological Society, London, Memoirs. 20: 233–250. doi:10.1144/GSL.MEM.2003.020.01.20.
- ^ "History of the Brent Field" (PDF).