DrillOrDrop’s review of the latest UK onshore production data for February 2023 reveals rising daily oil production but falls at the newest producing field at Wressle. Lower gas production at Saltfleetby contributed to falls in the UK onshore gas total.
Key figures
Daily production: Oil: 14,455 barrels per day (bopd). Gas: 9 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d)
Weight: Oil: 53,119 tonnes. Gas: 5,852 tonnes.
Volume: Oil: 64,345 m3. Gas: 7,552 thousand cubic meters (ksm3)
Onshore contribution to UK total production: 1.98% of total oil and 0.8% of gas
Volume of flared gas at UK onshore oilfields: 934 ksm3
Volume of vented gas at UK onshore oilfields: 119 ksm3
The data in this post was compiled and published by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) from reports by oil companies. This is published about three months in arrears. All the charts are based on the NSTA data.
Details
Daily production
- Daily UK onshore oil production in February 2023 was the second highest level in the previous year. It was up 2% on January 2023 and February 2022.
- Recorded daily UK onshore gas production remained stable for the fifth month in a row.
Volume and weight
- Monthly oil production by weight and volume were down about 8% in February 2023, compared with the previous month – but this is less than would have been expected because of the shorter month.
- Monthly gas production by weight and volume were down 16% in February 2023, compared with the previous month – more than would be expected because of the shorter month. It was the lowest figure since September 2022.
- The weight of gas produced in 2023 was more than double that recorded a year earlier. Oil was also up compared with February 2022 but by just over 2%.
Contribution to UK production
- Onshore oil made a slightly higher contribution to the UK total in February 2023, compared with the month before, up from 1.92% to 1.98%.
- The contribution of onshore gas remained stable at 0.8%.
Flaring and venting
- The volume of flared gas on UK onshore fields fell in February 2023 to the lowest level since September 2022, after a record high in January 2023.
- The lower volume may because oil production also fell in February at some of the highest flaring sites, including Wressle, Welton, Storrington, Singleton, Humbly Grove and Bletchingley (see Oil top 20).
- Vented gas volume fell for the second consecutive month and but remained above average (mean) for the previous year.
Top producing fields
Oil top 20
Ranking risers: Wareham, Beckingham, Gainsborough, Corringham, East Glentworth
Ranking fallers: Humbly Grove, Whisby, Scampton North, Horse Hill, Bletchingley, Kimmeridge
Wytch Farm’s share of UK onshore oil production rose to nearly 77%, up from just over 75% in January 2023. The weight of oil produced by the field fell about 5%, from 43,129 tonnes in January 2023 to 40,848 in February 2023.
At Wressle, the newest producing oilfield onshore in the UK, volume was down 16% in February 2023 and daily production down 7%, compared with the month before.
Horse Hill saw a 6% fall in volume, probably explained by the shorter month in February, but daily production was up 4% compared with January 2023. Despite this, production at the field remained below February 2022 (down 2%) and February 2021 (down 42%).
Only three fields in the top 20 saw production increase in February 2023, compared with January 2023. Wareham rose 42% from 571 tonnes to 814 tonnes in February. Corringham rose 27% and Beckingham rose 9%.
Gas top 10
Ranking risers: Bilsthorpe Colliery Mine Vent, Bevercotes Coal Mine Vent, Markham Main Coal Mine
Ranking fallers: Albury
Monthly gas weight from the biggest onshore producer, Saltfleetby, continued to fall in February 2023. It was down 17% compared with January 2023 (more than would have been expected by the shorter month in February. This follows a fall of 9% in January, compared with December 2022.
Gas production at Albury also fell – down 27% compared with January 2023.
Non-producers
Oil
There was no production at 14 UK onshore oil fields in February 2023.
This was one up on January 2023. The additional field reporting no production was Storrington in West Sussex. The non-producing oil fields were:
- Angus Energy: Lidsey, Brockham
- Britnrg Limited: Newton-on-Trent
- Egdon Resources: Dukes Wood, Fiskerton Airfield, Keddington, Kirklington, Waddock Cross
- IGas: Avington, Egmanton, Nettleham, Scampton, South Leverton, Storrington
Gas
No dry gas production was reported from the following onshore fields in January 2023:
Airth, Doe Green, Elswick, Florence Coal Mine Vent, Gedling Coal Mine Vent, Hatfield Moor Gas Storage Injection, Hatfield Moors, Humbly Grove Gas Storage, Kings Mill Hospital Coal Mine Vent, Kirby Misperton, Kirkleatham, Manfield Coal Mine Vent, Marishes, Pickering, Sherwood Vent.
Operators
Oil
All the onshore oil producers – except Europa – saw production in tonnes fall in February 2023.
Perenco ‘s share of UK onshore oil rose to 78.79%, up from 76.44% in January 2023, but still below 80.12% reported in November 2022. The share of production fell for IGas, Egdon, EP UK Investments, and Britnrg Limited. There were very small increases in share for UK Oil & Gas and Europa Oil and Gas.
Gas
The Saltfleetby operator, Angus Energy, saw its share of UK onshore gas production call again in February, down from 54% in January and nearly 63% in November 2022.
Infinis Energy, which operates most of the coal mine vents, continued to increase its proportion of UK onshore gas production. It rose in February 2023 to 33.5%, up from 32% in January 2023 and 25% in November 2022. Velox Power, which operates Stillingfleet coal mine, also rose, from 5.25% in January 2023 to 6.02%.
IGas saw its share fall to 7.09%, down from 8.16% in January 2023, probably because of falling gas production at Albury.
Scottish Power UK dropped out of the table, with no reported production at Hatfield.
2022 onshore oil data archive
August 2022 – see note about revised data
July 2022 – see note about revised data
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