Petroleum resources of the North Sea

Technical Report · Tue Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:6414101

Dietzman, W D; Rafidi, N R; Ross, T A

This report presents an analysis of the potential future oil supply capability from the North Sea. Presented herein are estimates of (1) original oil in place; (2) ultimate recovery; (3) remaining recoverable oil; and (4) projected supply patterns over time. This study indicates that the estimated remaining recoverable oil in the area from known deposits is about 25.6 billion barrels as of January 1, 1982, and the total undiscovered recoverable oil has an estimated statistical mean value of 19.9 billion barrels with 12.7 billion barrels of that amount occurring below the sixty-second parallel. Substantial additional producing capacity might be developed, about 2.0 million barrels of oil per day and perhaps higher, especially from the United Kingdom and Norwegian sectors of the northern North Sea basin. Output from the area in 1981 was about 4.3 percent of the world total. As of January 1, 1982, there were at least 242 developed and undeveloped oil fields in the North Sea that originally contained about 96 billion barrels of oil in place and had an estimated proved reserve of 19.8 billion barrels and an undeveloped reserve of 5.7 billion barrels of oil remaining to be recovered. Cumulative production to January 1, 1982, was 3.6 billion barrels, giving a total estimated ultimate oil recovery of 29.1 billion barrels and a recovery efficiency of 30.5 percent of the original oil in place.From an estimated total resource base of 41.9 billion barrels of recoverable oil below the sixty-second parallel, an estimated theoretical peak production rate of 4.3 million barrels of oil per day could be obtained and might occur as early as 1990. From an estimated total resource base of 49.0 billion barrels of recoverable oil both above and below the sixty-second parallel, an estimated theoretical peak production rate of 5.1 million barrels of oil per day might be obtained with the peak occurring in 1991.

• Research Organization: USDOE Energy Information Administration, Washington, DC. Office of Oil and Gas
• OSTI ID: 6414101
• Report Number(s): DOE/EIA-0381; ON: DE83010200
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020100* -- Petroleum-- Reserves-- (-1989)
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
294002 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Petroleum
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
CONTINENTAL SHELF
DATA
DATA COMPILATION
ENERGY SOURCES
EUROPE
EXPLORATION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
INFORMATION
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH SEA
NORWAY
NUMERICAL DATA
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PRODUCTION
RESERVES
RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
RESOURCES
SCANDINAVIA
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
UNITED KINGDOM
WESTERN EUROPE