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| Helder, Helm and Hoorn oil fields | |
|---|---|
| Country | Netherlands |
| Region | North Sea |
| Location/block | Block Q |
| Offshore/onshore | Offshore |
| Operator | Unocal Netherlands |
| Field history | |
| Discovery | 1979,1980 |
| Start of production | 1982, 1983 |
| Production | |
| Estimated oil in place | 53.9 million barrels (~9.22×10 |
| Producing formations | Lower Cretaceous |
Helder, Helm and Hoorn are adjacent oil fields located in the Netherlands sector of the North Sea 40 km west of Den Helder and 80 km north west of Amsterdam.
The Helder, Helm and Hoorn oil fields are located in Block Q of the Netherlands sector of the North Sea.[1][2] The oil reservoirs are Lower Cretaceous Vieland Sandstone with oils of various properties. The total reserves in the Q Block are estimated to be 53.9 million barrels.[3] The fields were licensed to Unocal Netherlands BV.[1]
| Property | Helder | Helm | Hoorn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reservoir depth | 1425 m | 1271 m | 1483 m |
| Oil column | 40 m | 87 m | 102 m |
| Discovered | April 1979 | February 1979 | September 1980 |
| API gravity | 21° | 18.3° | 26° |
| Gas Oil ratio | 90 scf/bbl | 150 scf/bbl | 100 scf/bbl |
The fields were developed though a number of offshore installations.[1][4][3]
| Platform | Configuration | Water depth | Function | Type | Legs | Well slots | Installed | Production start | Production to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helder A Wellhead | Bridge linked | 26 m | Wellhead | Steel jacket | 6 | 18 | April 1982 | September 1982 | Helder A Production platform |
| Helder A Production | 26 m | Processing, accommodation | Steel jacket | 4 | – | April and August 1982 | September 1982 | 20-inch 84 km pipeline to Amsterdam | |
| Helder B | Stand alone | Wellhead | Tripod Tower Platform | July 1986 | August 1986 | Helder A Production platform | |||
| Helm A Wellhead | Bridge linked | 26 m | Wellhead | Steel jacket | 4 | 9 | October 1981 | Helm Production platform | |
| Helm A Production | 26 m | Processing, accommodation | Steel jacket | 4 | – | April and August 1982 | September 1982 | Helder–Amsterdam pipeline | |
| Hoorn Wellhead | Bridge linked | 27 m | Wellhead | Steel jacket | 6 | 18 | April 1983 | July 1983 | Hoorn Production Platform |
| Hoorn Production | 27 m | Processing, accommodation | Steel jacket | 4 | – | April and July 1983 | July 1983 | Helder A Production platform 3.4 km 10-inch pipeline |
Early years production (in 1000 stock tank barrels) from the fields were:[1]
| Year | Helder | Helm | Hoorn |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 571 | 465 | – |
| 1983 | 3071 | 1709 | 2839 |
| 1984 | 4287 | 1222 | 5078 |
From 1984 Helder A received oil production from the Kotter production platform by 27.4 km 12-inch diameter pipeline.[5]
To increase production, in 1991 Unocal drilled 5 horizontal wells and horizontal laterals from 9 of the existing wells in the Helder field. Prior to this programme the field was producing 4200 bbl/d, when complete the production had increased to 10,900 bbl/d.[6][7]
