Forties Oil Field

Forties is one of the oldest and largest oil fields in the UK
The field consists of a complex of platforms
- The FA, FB, FC & FD Platforms are all Large Steel Manned Platforms
- The FE & Unity Riser Platforms are small steel unmanned platforms
Oil is transported onshore by the Forties Pipeline System, which was the UK's first offshore pipeline
A number of satellite fields are tied into Forties, including the Bacchus Oil Field the Maule Oil Field and the 'Tonto Field which is developed as a deviated well from the Forties Bravo production platform
The field is being redeveloped with the addition of the Forties Alpha Satellite Platform (FASP)

**Laing Offshore:** Forties FA & FB Platforms
**Highlands Fabricators:** Forties FC & FD Platforms
**Brown & Root:** Forties Bravo Accommodation block
**William Press/Penn Baudwin:** Construction of Modules
**AMEC:** Project management, engineering and procurement for the design and implementation of brownfield modifications to the Forties Alpha platform
**KANFA Aragon:** FORTIES Alpha Satellite TEG dehydration Module
**OGN:** Design and construction of the Forties Alpha Satellite Platform (FASP)
**BiFab:** Unity Platform - Riser Platform Topsides. Deck Structure
**Bibby Offshore:** Forties Echo riser/subsea construction
**Alderley:** Water processing system - Forties Bravo

**BiFab:**
- Flare Tie-Ins, Drain Systems and Compressor Pipework. Process Pipework in Stainless Steel, Carbon Steel and Low Temperature Carbon Steel
- Water Injection Manifolds and Pipework
- 2 Deep Gas Injection Process Modules. 90 Tonnes each

1970 - The Forties Oil Field is discovered by BP
1975 - UK government approval granted
1975 - First oil was produced
1979 - Production form the Forties Field, peaked at 500,000 barrels a day - representing about 25% of UK oil demand at the time
2003 - Apache acquired an approximate 97-percent working interest in the Forties field.
2010 - AMEC chosen to undertake project management, engineering and procurement for the design and implementation of brownfield modifications to the Forties Alpha platform
2012 - Apache announced that the jacket for the Forties Alpha Satellite Platform (FASP) had arrived at the Forties Field
2013 - Approval granted for the Tonto field
2013 - Approval granted for the Aviat field

The field originally held well over 500 billion litres of oil in its sandy reservoir rock. This rock was deposited as a submarine fan sediment 55 million years ago (F37 and 38).
At Forties Field, these sandy layers have draped and sagged across a 'hump' in the underlying rocks. The Main Sand reservoir is composed mostly of sandy sediment deposited as a submarine fan, while much of the separate Charlie Sand accumulated within feeder channels of sand flowing across the sea floor.
Oil has migrated upwards from Kimmeridge Clay source rock within the buried rift valley, and has then travelled along the sand layers. Some of the migrating oil has then been trapped within the dome-shaped beds of sandstone above the underlying hump.

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