Helder, Helm and Hoorn oil fields

Helder, Helm and Hoorn are adjacent oil fields located in the Netherlands sector of the North Sea 40 km west of Den Helder and 80 km north west of Amsterdam.

Helder, Helm and Hoorn oil fields
CountryNetherlands
RegionNorth Sea
Location/blockBlock Q
Offshore/onshoreOffshore
OperatorUnocal Netherlands
Field history
Discovery1979,1980
Start of production1982, 1983
Production
Estimated oil in place53.9 million barrels (~9.22×10^6 t)
Producing formationsLower Cretaceous

The fields

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The Helder, Helm and Hoorn oil fields are located in Block Q of the Netherlands sector of the North Sea.[1][2] The oil reservoirs are Lower Cretaceous Vieland Sandstone with oils of various properties. The total reserves in the Q Block are estimated to be 53.9 million barrels.[3] The fields were licensed to Unocal Netherlands BV.[1]

Field properties
Property Helder Helm Hoorn
Reservoir depth 1425 m 1271 m 1483 m
Oil column 40 m 87 m 102 m
Discovered April 1979 February 1979 September 1980
API gravity 21° 18.3° 26°
Gas Oil ratio 90 scf/bbl 150 scf/bbl 100 scf/bbl

Development

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The fields were developed though a number of offshore installations.[1][4][3]

Helder, Helm and Hoorn installations
Platform Configuration Water depth Function Type Legs Well slots Installed Production start Production to
Helder A Wellhead Bridge linked 26 m Wellhead Steel jacket 6 18 April 1982 September 1982 Helder A Production platform
Helder A Production 26 m Processing, accommodation Steel jacket 4 April and August 1982 September 1982 20-inch 84 km pipeline to Amsterdam
Helder B Stand alone Wellhead Tripod Tower Platform July 1986 August 1986 Helder A Production platform
Helm A Wellhead Bridge linked 26 m Wellhead Steel jacket 4 9 October 1981 Helm Production platform
Helm A Production 26 m Processing, accommodation Steel jacket 4 April and August 1982 September 1982 Helder–Amsterdam pipeline
Hoorn Wellhead Bridge linked 27 m Wellhead Steel jacket 6 18 April 1983 July 1983 Hoorn Production Platform
Hoorn Production 27 m Processing, accommodation Steel jacket 4 April and July 1983 July 1983 Helder A Production platform 3.4 km 10-inch pipeline


Early years production (in 1000 stock tank barrels) from the fields were:[1]

Field production
Year Helder Helm Hoorn
1982 571 465
1983 3071 1709 2839
1984 4287 1222 5078


From 1984 Helder A received oil production from the Kotter production platform by 27.4 km 12-inch diameter pipeline.[5]

To increase production, in 1991 Unocal drilled 5 horizontal wells and horizontal laterals from 9 of the existing wells in the Helder field. Prior to this programme the field was producing 4200 bbl/d, when complete the production had increased to 10,900 bbl/d.[6][7]  

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Oilfield Publications Limited (1985). The North Sea Platform Guide. Ledbury UK: Oilfield Publications Limited. pp. 295–314.
  2. ^ Department of Trade and Industry (1994). The Energy Report. London: HMSO. pp. Map 3. ISBN 0115153802.
  3. ^ a b Kennedy, J.L. (198). "Third oil field just on stream in Dutch sector of North Sea". Oil and Gas Journal. 82 (1). OSTI 6987451.
  4. ^ Duncan, D.A. (1987). "The first Tripod Tower Platform: Design, Installation, Operation, and economic viabiilty". onepetro. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  5. ^ Goh, L.S. (1996). "The Logger oil Field (Netherlands offshore): Reservoir architecture and heterogeneity". Geology of Gas and Oil under the Netherlands. Springer. pp. 255–263. doi:10.1007/978-94-009-0121-6_21. ISBN 978-94-010-6541-2. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  6. ^ Oil & Gas Journal (1991). "Unocal redevelops Helder Field with horizontal wells". ogj. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  7. ^ Zagalal, Bashir M. and Patrick J. Murphy (1991). "Reservoir Simulation of Horizontal Wells in the Helder Field". Journal of Petroleum Technology. 43 (8): 906–913. doi:10.2118/19296-PA.