TAQA’s Oil & Gas operations are located in North America, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands and comprise crude oil and natural gas exploration, production, processing, transmission and storage.
In North America, TAQA has over two and a half million gross acres containing 465 mmboe of proven and probable reserves. TAQA’s average production in this region for 2010 was 88,582 boe/d.
In the United Kingdom, TAQA produced an average of 37,329 boe/d in 2010 through four operated platforms and non-operated interests in the UK North Sea. TAQA is also the operator of the Brent Pipeline System.
In the Netherlands, TAQA is primarily a midstream operator with the PGI Alkmaar gas storage facility and various pipeline interests. Together with its partner, TAQA is planning on building a second gas storage facility near Alkmaar, the Netherlands: the Bergermeer Gas Storage. The facility is expected to be fully operational in 2013. The Company also produced 8,716 boe/d in 2010 through onshore and offshore facilities.
TAQA NORTH, North America
TAQA NORTH is the 11th largest producer in Canada and is TAQA’s centre of excellence for onshore conventional and unconventional crude oil and natural gas production. TAQA has over two and a half million gross acres in North America containing 465 mmboe of proven and probable reserves. TAQA’s average production in this region for 2010 was 88,582 boe/d.
CBM in Alberta, Canada
Coalbed methane (CBM) is an evolving business in Western Canada and still in its early stages of development. The majority of TAQA’s CBM properties are located in southeast Alberta and concentrated in Crossfield, East Carbon and Swall Well areas. TAQA NORTH has significant gas processing plants and field infrastructure in place to accommodate current and future production growth potential.
Tight Gas in Alberta, Canada
Located in West Central Alberta, TAQA’s Tight Gas pools are located at Caroline, Columbia, O’Chiese and Ferrier. Tight Gas pools are characterized by high initial production rates, stabilizing to lower rates resulting in long reserve life and production stability.
Williston Basin, USA
TAQA North’s U.S. assets are located in the Williston Basin and are predominately conventional oil properties. The assets are located in Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming. TAQA NORTH holds significant acreage throughout the region, which provided production growth potential in the Bakken and Nisku reservoirs.
Shale Gas, Canada
On June 30th, 2009, TAQA NORTH acquired two large land blocks in the highly prospective Horn River Basin in North-eastern British Columbia. The shale gas opportunities in the basin have been pursued by industry for development over the past four years and are anticipated to become a major North American source of natural gas in the future.
TAQA Energy, the Netherlands
TAQA Energy consists of midstream assets as well as oil and natural gas production and is TAQA’s centre of excellence for Midstream development and operations.
Peak Gas Installation (PGI)
The Peak Gas Installation (PGI) in Alkmaar is an underground gas reservoir transformed to store and deliver gas to the Dutch national grid to meet additional consumer demand in the winter months. Its current contractual peak capacity is 36 million m3 a day and it has a maximum inventory of 500 million m3.
The reservoir used for the gas storage is the Alkmaar reservoir (Platten Dolomite Reservoir) located in the centre of the Bergen Concession. The reservoir is at a depth of approximately 2,200 metres.
PGI has been operational as a gas storage facility since 1997.
Bergermeer Gas Storage
Currently TAQA is working with the Dutch State to develop a second gas storage facility near Alkmaar. The Bergermeer Gas Storage facility will strengthen the energy security and infrastructure of North Western Europe with a reliable supply of natural gas.
The facility will be Europe’s largest and most advanced third party access gas storage facility with an initial working volume of approximately 4 billion cubic metres. The facility is expected to be operational in 2013.
The project is an essential component of the Dutch Government’s ambition to realise the ‘gas roundabout of Northwest Europe’ in the Netherlands.
For more information please visit the https://www.gasstoragebergermeer.com/
Offshore C02 Storage
TAQA Energy BV in the Netherlands operates the P15 and P18 oil and gas reservoirs and production facilities 20 to 40 km offshore Rotterdam. The scale, location and maturity of these reservoirs make them ideal for an early commercial demonstration of the potential of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). TAQA is currently evaluating the potential for the first full chain industrial scale offshore CO2 storage project in the Netherlands.
The CO2 will be injected into a sandstone formation underneath an impermeable layer of cap-rock. The fluid flows into the reservoir formation which is like a rigid structure of sand grains with pore space between the grains. After the reservoirs have been filled with CO2, the wells will be plugged and sealed. As with the natural gas before, the CO2 will remain sealed in the reservoir.
Prior to first injection, feasibility studies on the reservoirs, the sealing layers, the wells and the facilities will be executed to assure safe CO2 storage and reservoir behaviour.
TAQA and its partners are willing to talk to market parties interested in participating in the project as part of a consortium. TAQA’s C02 storage team can be reached at: co2storage@taqaglobal.com
Transportation Infrastructure
TAQA Energy has a 40% non-operated interest in the operator of the North Gas Transport (NGT) pipeline, Noordgastransport BV NGT is a major natural gas transmission pipeline system in the Dutch North Sea. The pipeline transports gas produced offshore through a system of pipelines from gas fields in the North Sea to a processing plant in Uithuizen in the north of the Netherlands.
TAQA Energy also holds a 20% non-operated interest in the Q1 oil pipeline to Amsterdam and operated interests in the offshore P15 oil and gas pipelines leading to Rotterdam.
Natural Gas Production
As operator, TAQA produces oil, gas and condensate from wells located offshore the Netherlands in the P15, P18 and L11 blocks and onshore in the Alkmaar region of the Netherlands.
TAQA also holds non-operated interests in more than 20 producing oil and gas fields in the A, B, F, G, Q, P, L and M blocks in the Dutch North Sea.
P15 - P18 oil and gas offshore facilities
The TAQA operated P15-P18 offshore facilities north-west of Hook of Holland consist of oil production facilities and gas production facilities. Both oil and gas production and processing facilities consist of a production platform and several well protector platforms. The gas facilities also include several subsea well completions.
Rijn Redevelopment
The Rijn field, located in the P15 block, originally started production in 1985 and was shut in 1998. TAQA restarted production in 2010 after applying recent advances in technology. The project involved workovers on five oil producing wells, five water injection wells and an upgrade of the TAQA-operated P15-C offshore facilities. All produced water is now re-injected into the reservoir and production is enhanced with newly installed Electrical Submersible Pumps (ESPs).
TAQA has a 38.27% operating interest in the Rijn field. The field is situated in Block P15, 40 kilometres northwest of the Port of Rotterdam in 25 metres (82 feet) of water. The Rijn wells are connected to the TAQA-operated P15-ACD offshore production and processing facilities. Crude oil production is exported to the Port of Rotterdam via pipeline.
L11-B
The TAQA operated L11-B platform is located in Block L11 in the Southern North Sea part of the Dutch Continental Shelf. Production from L11-B is transported via the North Gas Transport (NGT) pipeline to the Uithuizen gas terminal in the Netherlands.
Bergen Concession
The TAQA operated Bergen Concession is located in the province Noord-Holland and consists of several production locations, the Peak Gas Installation (PGI) and the Bergen Drying Facility (BDF). The installations include gas production, storage, condensate/water treatment, water injection facilities and utilities.
TAQA Bratani Limited, UK
Formed in 2006 with the purchase of the Brae assets, TAQA Bratani has grown in to an important operator in the UKCS, employing around 800 people directly and indirectly. Production for 2010 averaged 37,329 boe/d of primarily Brent crude oil.
Operated Assets
One hundred per cent operated equity in the Tern, Kestrel, Eider, Cormorant North, South Cormorant and Pelican Fields, and a combined 26.73% interest in the Dana operated Hudson field.
TAQA Bratani’s development program for its operated assets consists of a capital expenditure commitment of £500 million to be made over the next three years. TAQA Bratani employs directly and indirectly some 800 personnel in the UKCS and onshore.
Operated North Sea platforms
TERN
Position: 169km (105miles) north-east of Lerwick, Shetland. Block number: 210/25a. Oil producer with Kestrel and Hudson tie backs.
EIDER
Position: 184km (114 miles) north-east of Lerwick, Shetland. Block number: 211/16a and 211/21a. Oil producer with Otter tie back.
CORMORANT ALPHA
Position: 161km (100 miles) north-east of Lerwick, Shetland. Block number: 211/26a. Oil producer with Cormorant Central and pelican tie backs, brent System Pump Station.
CORMORANT NORTH
Position: 175km (109 miles) north-east of Sullom Voe, Shetland. Block number: 211/21a. Mainly oil producer.
Brent System
TAQA has a 16% interest in the Brent System and took over as operator on 1 August 2009 on behalf of co-venturers.
Brent System Oil Pipeline
The Brent system transports oil to Sullom Voe from the following installations (red is a platform, the others sub-sea):
Cormorant Alpha (TAQA)
North Cormorant (TAQA)
Tern (TAQA)
Eider (TAQA)
Thistle (Lundin)
Murchison (CNR)
Dunlin (Shell/Esso)
Brent A, B, C, D (Shell/Esso)
Alwyn (TOTAL)
Pelican (TAQA)
Otter (TOTAL)
Pipeline
147km (92miles) long from Cormorant South to Firths Voe, 5km (3miles) long from Firths Voe to Sullom Voe. Maximum water depth: 72m (563feet).
Brent System Participant Equity %
TAQA Bratani Limited 16.000000
Amoco (UK) Exploration Company 1.346677
A/S Norske Shell 0.226975
Britoil PLC 3.645072
Cieco Exploration and Production (UK) Limited 1.988679
CNR International (UK) Limited 12.899863
ConocoPhillips (UK) Limited 0.815433
ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS 0.274271
Dana Petroleum (E&P) Limited 0.642002
Enterprise Oil Norge Limited 0.023638
Enterprise Oil UK Limited 2.196452
Esso Exploration & Production UK Limited 26.2411087
ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway AS 0.226975
ExxonMobil Production Norway Inc 0.340462
Fairfield Betula 1.061914
Fairfield Fagus 0.547046
Lundin Thistle Limited 4.460525
MCX Dunlin (UK) Limited 0.455106
MCX Osprey (UK) Limited 0.234448
Wintershall Norge ASA 1.177427
Shell U.K. Limited 25.195926
Non-operated assets
Brae assets include significant interests in the South, North, Central, West and East Brae fields, the Beinn field, Braemar field, as well as the SAGE pipeline and onshore terminal and the Brae-Miller Linkline). Brae A platform and facilities act as host for the Brae field, Block number 16/7a, operated by Marathon Oil UK Limited.
TAQA holds 24% equity in the Sullom Voe Oil Terminal (operated by BP) in the Shetland Islands. Location: 48 km (30 miles) north of Lerwick on the mainland of Shetland. A common user oil terminal which receives, processes, stores and exports the oil and gas production from the east Shetland oilfields
