OGA data release and technology event to support 30th Offshore Licensing Round

The UK Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) has announced a suite of measures designed to make data openly available and stimulate interest in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) ahead of the 30^th Offshore Licensing Round. The Round will focus on the more mature areas of the UKCS – some of which were last offered for licensing more than 40 years ago – and is expected to be the most significant offshore round in recent decades.

The measures announced include:

• A series of freely available subsurface data packages for some 140 relinquished discoveries, including well and seismic data (from Common Data Access), well tops (from OGA/BGS) and selected seismic images (from CGG, PGS and WesternGeco).
• Technical montages for 60 discoveries, including the discovery’s history, static and dynamic information and digital subsurface data to be used in interpretation software.
• The launch of a technology event in Aberdeen in the week commencing 21 August 2017, jointly hosted with the Oil and Gas Technology Centre (OGTC), which will cover technology areas that are critical for the economic development of marginal fields, including seismic, well construction, subsea tie-backs, and efficient standalone facility concepts.

Gunther Newcombe, OGA Operations Director, said: ‘We know that more than 3bn boe remain in approximately 350 undeveloped discoveries across the UKCS. Data and technology are key to unlocking as many of these undeveloped discoveries as possible.’