Neptune brings online new gas well in Dutch North Sea

Oil and gas company Neptune Energy has produced first gas from the new L5a-D4 well in the deepest producing gas field of the Dutch North Sea. 

F3 platform; Source: Neptune Energy

L5a-D4 is a high pressure, high temperature well located in the L5a-D field, around 100 kilometers north of Den Helder, and tied back to the Neptune-operated L5a-D platform, Neptune said on Wednesday. It was tapped at a depth of 5.5 kilometers.

Today’s announcement follows the successful drilling of the E17a-A6 well, located almost 160 kilometers from Den Helder, which was brought on stream in October last year.

Neptune’s managing director for the Netherlands, Lex de Groot, said: “We continue to seek opportunities to grow our business in the Netherlands and to enhance our offshore gas production. Dutch offshore natural gas remains hugely important for heating Dutch homes.”

“Production of Dutch natural gas also contributes directly and indirectly to the Dutch economy and produces 30% lower CO2 emission than imported gas.” Today’s announcement follows the successful drilling of the E17a-A6 well, located almost 160 kilometers from Den Helder, which was brought on stream in October last year.

The L5a-D platform is operated by Neptune Energy with a 60% stake, and EBN is its partner with the remaining 40% stake.

The F3-B complex is the main platform for gas and oil production in the northern part of the FLQ cluster. F3-B is located 210 km from Den Helder at a water depth of 42.5 meters. The production platform is bridge-linked to an accommodation platform with space for up to 36 personnel. A separate, unmanned oil offloading tower is located nearby.  The facility is also used to treat, store and transport third-party produced oil at Ravn in Denmark and A6A in Germany.

Q13 is at the southern end of the FLQ Cluster. This is located near the Dutch coast 13 km from Scheveningen. This was installed as a fully electrified production platform in 2013. The platform is unmanned. The oil production from Q13 is exported to shore to Rotterdam via the TAQA-operated P15c complex.

HPHT (high-pressure high-temperature) gas wells are also present in this area. The gas produced at L5a-D, L5-FA, L12, and L15-FA is transported via the NOGAT pipeline to the plant in Den Helder.


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