About Tartan Area

Oil was first discovered at the Tartan field in December 1974 after which an additional 11 exploratory wells were drilled. The Tartan Platform was installed in June 1979 and commenced production in January 1981. In total the platform processes hydrocarbons from the following 5 fields:

  • The Tartan field consists of 3 major fault blocks with wells drilled directly from the platform as well as 3 subsea well clusters, Tartan East, Tartan West and Tartan North Terrace
  • The Highlander field produces from 2 isolated reservoirs via a subsea template and manifold located approximately 13 km (8 miles) north-west of the Tartan platform
  • The Petronella field produces from a single subsea well located approximately six and a half miles south-west of the Tartan platform
  • The Galley Field produces from a well cluster located 26 km (16 miles) east of the Tartan Platform
  • The Duart Field produces from a single subsea gas lifted well located 8 km (5 miles) west of the Tartan platform.

About the facilities

Oil was first discovered at the Tartan field in December 1974 after which an additional 11 exploratory wells were drilled. The Tartan Platform was installed in June 1979 and commenced production in January 1981.

The platform comprises a steel jacket substructure, founded on an array of 28 driven steel tubular piles, supporting a module support frame (MSF) on which topsides modular packages are mounted. The platform supports accommodation, process facilities, utilities including power generation, wellheads and drilling facilities.

  • The Tartan A topsides weighing approximately 15,719 Te;
  • The Tartan substructure (jacket) is an eight-legged fixed steel jacket weighing approximately 27,171te (including conductors and marine growth) and sits in a water depth of 142 m (465ft).

Tartan exports/imports gas via the Frigg Pipeline to Total’s St Fergus Gas terminal. The Tartan gas export pipeline is 18" diameter and 72 km long with two spurs which connect Tartan to Claymore and Piper B.

Crude oil is exported to Claymore through a 24" diameter, 27 km pipeline and onward through a 30" spur-line to the Flotta pipeline to shore.

The decommissioning of the Tartan substructure is not part of the initial decommissioning programmes (DP) and will be subject to a separate submission.

Facilities to be decommissioned

Removal, onshore dismantling, recycling and disposal of topsides, substructures and subsea infrastructure.

Multiple options are being considered for the decommissioning of the Tartan Area infrastructure, all of which have undergone a a screening process to identify those that are feasible. Those feasible options for the decommissioning of the Tartan A topsides, substructure and subsea facilities and pipelines have been subject to a Comparative Assessment (CA) process to determine the best options with regards to their safety, environmental, societal, technical and economic performance.