Production facilities on the Clipper complex include bulk liquid removal, 5 centrifugal two-stage compression with a capacity of 2 x 200 MMSCFD (million standard cubic feet per day). [4] The first well, which is currently online, was drilled by Ensco 92 rig. It was drilled to a depth of 4,903m by inducing eight hydraulic fractures. Gas transportation

In addition to Clipper, the adjacent fields produced natural gas to the Clipper facility. [1] [2] Clipper area fieldsThe development of the Clipper South gas field comprised the drilling of five horizontal wells inducing several hydraulic fractures in each. The depth of the wells ranged between 3,876m and 5,866m. Technip was contracted to provide the pipeline design, installation and project management services. Clipper South field was operated unmanned from the Lincolnshire Offshore Gas Gathering System (LOGGS) and Theddlethorpe gas terminal, which are planned for decommission.

The new Clipper hub to Bacton route ensures continued operation after the decommissioning of the LOGGS and Theddlethorpe gas terminal. As part of the Clipper development new pipeline reception facilities and process plant was installed at the Shell terminal at the Bacton gas terminal. The gas is now transported through the Clipper hub, where it is processed at Shell’s Bacton terminal in Norfolk and then fed into the UK National Grid. Contractors involvedGas production from Clipper and the connected fields is summarised in the table, data includes the peak rate and the cumulative production over the period 1990 to 2014. [5] [1] Gas Production The Clipper hub is situated 66km from the Norfolk coast and has a capacity to transport approximately 400 million standard cubic feet of gas a day. The Clipper field was developed by Shell as a central 3-platform bridge linked complex. [4] Three further bridge-linked platforms were added later. In addition to its own gas, Clipper was designed to be a central hub to receive and process well fluids from the surrounding installations. Processed gas was transmitted by pipeline from Clipper to the Bacton Gas Terminal, Norfolk. The main design parameters of the Clipper area installations are summarized in the table. [4] [5] [1] [2] Clipper area installations

Gas from Clipper South was originally routed to the ConocoPhillips LOGGS installation thence to Theddlethorpe gas terminal (TGT). When TGT closed in August 2018 a new pipeline was installed to route gas from Clipper South to Clipper. [6] The Clipper gas field is a major natural gas reservoir and gas production facility in the UK sector of the southern North Sea. The field is located about 73 km north-north-east of Bacton, Norfolk; the Clipper production facility has operated since 1990. Clipper South was owned by RWE Dea UK (50%), Fairfield Energy (25%), and Bayern Gas (25%). RWE Dea and Fairfield sold their interests to Ineos in 2015. The field is owned by Ineos and Spirit Energy. [3] Development [ edit ]