UK onshore oil and gas production in charts – September 2023

By Ruth Hayhurst on December 4, 2023 • ( 1 Comment )

UK onshore oil and gas production fell for the second consecutive month in September 2023, with more drops in extraction from leading fields at Wytch Farm, Wressle and Saltfleetby.

Key figures

Daily oil production: 12,345 barrels of oil per day (bopd) (August 13,203 bopd)

Oil volume: 58,880m3 (August 65,068m3)

Oil weight: 48,635 tonnes (August 53,078 tonnes)

Onshore oil’s contribution to UK total production: 2.2% (August 2.4%)

Volume of flared gas at UK onshore oilfields: 774ksm3 (August 996ksm3)

Volume of vented gas at UK onshore oilfields: 68ksm3 (August 69ksm)

Daily gas production: 10.4 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d) (August 11.31 mmscf/d)

Gas volume: 8,834 thousand cubic meters (ksm3) (August 9,927ksm3)

Gas weight: 7,178 tonnes (August 8,096 tonnes)

Onshore gas’s contribution to UK total production: 1.2% (August 1.2%)

This post uses data 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.

Some data retrospectively changed in last month’s release from NSTA. This particularly concerns the volume of flared and vented gas at onshore oil fields. We have reported on why this data has changed.

Details

Daily production

Volume and weight

Contribution to UK production

Flaring and venting

Top producing fields

Oil top 20

Ranking risers: Long Clawson, Glentworth, Horndean, Scampton North, Gainsborough, Bletchingley, Cold Hanworth, Corringham, Beckingham, Horse Hill, Kimmeridge, East Glentworth, Storrington and Whisby

Ranking fallers: Humbly Grove and Wressle (out of the top 20 table)

Monthly production at Wressle, in North Lincolnshire, the UK’s newest onshore oilfield, fell again in September 2023 because of a well workover. Wressle was the second lowest UK onshore producer in September, at just 9 tonnes, only ahead of Crosby Warren on 5 tonnes. Production reportedly resumed at Wressle in October 2023 so an increase is expected in next month’s data.

Oil production from the country’s largest onshore producer, Wytch Farm, dropped again in September 2023, down nearly 7% to 39,650 tonnes, from 42,462 in August 2023. This is a bigger drop than would have been expected because of the shorter month in September.

Humbly Grove , in Hampshire, dropped from 5th place to 15th, with a big fall in production from 1,144 tonnes in August 2023 to 163 in September.

Whisby, in Lincolnshire , returned to the top 20 table, after falling out in August 2023.

Horse Hill, in Surrey, rose three places in the rankings but its monthly production fell from 215 tonnes in August 2023 to 195 in September, again more than would have been expected by the shorter month.

Producing gas fields

Ranking risers: Stillingfleet, Maltby Coal Mine and Newmarket Colliery Mine Vents

Ranking fallers: Albury and Bilsthorpe Colliery and Markham Main Coal Mine Vents

The largest UK onshore gasfield, at Saltfleetby in Lincolnshire, saw production fall for the second consecutive month, from 7,273 tonnes in July 2023, to 6,226 tonnes in August and 5,403 tonnes in September. The field’s contribution to total UK onshore gas production also fell from 80% in July 2023, to 77% in August and 75% in September.

Albury, in Surrey, dropped in both rankings and weight of gas produced in September, compared with the month before. Weight was down to 254 tonnes in September, from 369 tonnes in August.

Non-producers

Oil

There was no production at 14 UK onshore oil fields in September 2023. This was one higher than August 2023. The additional non-producing field in September was Keddington in Lincolnshire.

The non-producing fields were:

Angus Energy: Lidsey, Brockham
Britnrg Limited: Newton-on-Trent
Heyco (formerly Egdon Resources): Dukes Wood, Fiskerton Airfield, Keddington, Kirklington, Waddock Cross
Star Enery (formerly IGas): Avington, Egmanton, Nettleham, Scampton, South Leverton
Perenco: Wareham

Gas

There was no production reported at 14 UK onshore producing gas fields in September 2023.

This was two fewer than in August 2023. The sites that resumed production in September were Cadeby and Gedling Coal Mine Vents

The non-producers were:

Cuadrilla: Elswick
Heyco: Kirkleatham
EP UK Investments: Humbly Grove Gas Storage
Ineos: Airth, Doe Green
Infinis Energy: coal mine vents at Askern, Bevercotes,, Florence, Kings Mill Hospital, Mansfield, Sherwood and Warsop
Scottish Power UK plc: Hatfield Moor and Hatfield Moor Gas Storage Injection

Operators

Oil

All UK onshore oil operators saw reduced production in September 2023. The most notably was Heyco Energy Group, operator of the Wressle site, where production fell from 1,013 tonnes in August 2023 to 9 tonnes in September.

Gas

Production was also down at all but one of the UK onshore gas producers. But Infinis Energy saw its production rise from 1,092 tonnes in August 2023 to 1,136 tonnes in September.