Bacton terminal begins receiving gas from Clipper South

OIL and gas major Shell has started to supply energy from the Clipper South gas field into the UK network via the Bacton gas terminal.

Clipper South is located in southern part of the UK sector of the North Sea. It is owned by Ineos and Spirit Energy. Its unmanned platform had relied on the Lincolnshire Offshore Gas Gathering System (LOGGS) and Theddlethorpe gas terminal to transport its gas to shore.

Under a new commercial agreement with Ineos and Spirit Energy, Shell will remotely operate the field and transport the gas through its Clipper hub, also in the southern North Sea, for processing at Shell’s Bacton gas terminal in Norfolk, UK.

The Clipper hub and Bacton route will enable Clipper South to continue operations after the planned decommissioning of the LOGGS and Theddlethorpe gas terminal.

The gas from Clipper South will be used to supply the UK National Grid via the Bacton gas terminal, which has been operational since 1968. According to BBC News, gas from the terminal is used to meet approximately a third of the UK’s energy needs.

“Our Clipper hub and upgraded terminal at Bacton are helping to maximise the recovery of gas from the UK North Sea,” said Anne O’Halloran, ONEGas asset manager. “We are keen to partner with other companies on similar agreements to help supply gas to homes and businesses across the country.”

Shell and ExxonMobil completed a £300m (US$382m) upgrade at Bacton in 2017, to enable it to handle more gas from offshore fields. BBC News reports that the upgrade increased the amount of gas that could be processed at the Norfolk terminal by 16%.

The Clipper hub, located approximate 41 miles (66 km) from the Norfolk coast, is a normally attended installation comprising of five fixed-bridge linked platforms. It can transport up to 400m ft³ of gas per day. The hub produces and processes gas from its own wells, and imports and processes gas from the Barque, Galleon, Skiff, Cutter, and Carrack fields.