Neptune starts production from tenth Cygnus gas well

Drilling of the 11th well at the Cygnus field is currently underway. (Photo: Neptune Energy.)

Neptune Energy said that together with partner Spirit Energy, it had begun production from the tenth well at its Cygnus gas project in the UK’s Southern North Sea. The company said that following the start-up of the well, Cygnus now had the capacity to produce enough gas to meet the needs of around 2 million households in the UK.

Neptune also said Cygnus had one of the lowest carbon intensities on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS), at around 4 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) per barrel of oil equivalent (boe).

The tenth Cygnus well was drilled using Borr Drilling’s Prospector 1 jack-up rig. Neptune noted that this was the first rig in Borr’s fleet to be equipped with technologies that reduce CO2 and nitrogen emissions from operations by up to 95%, and particle matter emissions by more than 85%.

Neptune, which operates Cygnus with a 38.75% interest, said it had now started drilling the eleventh well at the field. That well is expected to begin production in the second quarter of this year. These wells follow the start-up of two wells at Cygnus in 2022.

Also last year, Neptune implemented a gas compression system at the field, but warned in its third-quarter results that there were still compressor capacity constraints.

The Cygnus field is the biggest natural gas discovery in the southern North Sea in more than 30 years. It is one of the largest single producing gas fields in the UK, typically exporting over 250 million standard cubic feet of gas daily, and supplying energy to the equivalent of 2 million UK homes. It has a field life of over 20 years.

Two drilling centres target ten wells. Cygnus Alpha consists of three bridge-linked platforms: a wellhead drilling centre, a processing/utilities unit and living quarters/central control room. Cygnus Bravo, an unmanned satellite platform, is approximately seven kilometres northwest of Cygnus Alpha.