Birch

(Venture Production Company Ltd)

Offshore oil field in production.

Block and licence number:

16/12a, P.212

Map reference:

Plate 8

Grid reference:

1° 15’ E 58° 34’ N

Licensees and company interest in block (%) at end of 2001:

Venture Production Company (North Sea) Limited

46.79

Marubeni Oil & Gas (U.K.) Limited

35.49

Agip Birch Ltd

14.93

Agip Exploration & Production Limited

2.79

Date of discovery:

October 1985

Production start:

September 1995

Operator’s estimate of:

Recoverable reserves originally present:

Oil: (million tonnes): 3.02
NGLs: (million tonnes): 0.44
Gas: (billion cubic metres) 1.15

First year of peak production:

1996

Peak production:

Oil: (million tonnes per year) 1.06
NGLs: (million tonnes per year) 0.10
(billion cubic metres) 0.50

Water depth:

127m

Gravity:

38º API

Sulphur content:

0.20%

Transport system:

Brae/Forties pipeline system.

Extension into other UK blocks:

None