North Alwyn Platform Turns 20

Twenty years ago first oil was produced from North Alwyn platform, in the UK North Sea. The Alwyn field (100% Total), which lies 440 kilometers north-east of Aberdeen was brought on-stream in November 1987. North Alwyn is currently one of the largest oil and gas processing platforms in the UK North Sea acting as a gathering hub for nearby fields with a production of around 140,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Since first oil, the North Alwyn hub has delivered over 900 million barrels of oil equivalent produced from the Alwyn field and from the satellite fields, including Dunbar, Nuggets, Ellon, Grant and Forvie. The latest addition to this success story is the Jura field, discovered in 2006, which will come on stream in 2008 with an anticipated production plateau of 45,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. It should contribute to maintaining the plateau production until early next decade. Additional appraisal wells are planned and one is currently being drilled on Jura. The exploration and development programthat will be launched on the Alwyn Area in the coming three years represents an investment of around $800 million.

This continuous evolution was possible thanks to the permanent application of the latest available technology in the fields of seismic acquisition and imaging, extended reach drilling, multi phase pumping, EOR, and subsea wells. Furthermore the integrated management of maintenance, integrity and new developments was found to be key to achieve a good performance of the asset.

The Alwyn facilities were initially designed for a service of 20 years. To extend an efficient and safe operation beyond 2020, Total launched in 2004 an enhanced inspection and maintenance programme. In addition, major works have been completed to reduce the emission profile of the hub. The amount of investment in asset integrity and compliance with new regulations in Alwyn area over the five years period ending in 2008 will reach around $600 million.

Pursuing investments illustrates Total's trust in Alwyn potential and commitment to contribute to the development of United Kingdom's oil and gas resources.