Royal Dutch Shell started natural gas flows on Wednesday from its Corrib gas field in offshore Ireland.
The field is located 51 miles off Ireland’s northwest coast in water depths of about 217 feet, with reserves sitting about 9,842 feet below the seabed.
At peak annual production, the Corrib gas field is expected to produce around 260 million standard cubic feet per day of gas, equivalent to 45,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
“Today’s announcement is a positive step for our gas portfolio. It is also good news for Ireland as the provision of Corrib gas improves security of supply for the Irish energy market,” Shell Upstream International Director Andy Brown said.
Six wells have been drilled at the Corrib field and gas from the field is being transported to the Bellanaboy Bridge Gas Terminal in northwest Mayo through a 20 inch pipeline.
The gas is processed at Bellanaboy before being transferred into the Gas Networks Ireland network and then delivered to Irish gas consumers.
The project was hit with delays after local residents opposed Shell’s initial plans to construct an onshore pipeline to transport gas from the field to a terminal, Offshore Technology said.
The Corrib project is a joint venture between Shell E&P Ireland Limited, with a 45 percent operating stake, Statoil Exploration Ireland Limited with a 36.5 percent stake and Vermilion Energy Ireland Limited with an 18.5 percent stake.
“There have been several challenges for the operator and its partners to overcome on the road to this important milestone. The project has created many local jobs in the development phase and we are confident that the project will also contribute positively locally and nationally in the operational phase in terms of value creation and energy security,” Statoil senior VP for development and production activities in the UK and Ireland Tove Stuhr Sjøblom said.
