据油价网2021年5月29日报道，由于英国石油公司（BP）在最近对石油生产发起挑战以后与美国贝克休斯公司和挪威Oldfjell钻井公司达成了一项旨在提高Clair Ridge稠油油田产量的协议，英国的石油生产到目前为止仍没有停止。
BP将利用这些来自新成立合伙企业提供的最新技术和专业知识，增加英国拥有70亿桶稠油储量的最大油田Clair Ridge稠油油田的钻井作业量。最初的目标包括每年增加15%的稠油产量。
由两个桥连接平台组成的Clair Ridge油田在2018年开发，耗资约100亿美元，预计稠油日产量为12万桶。Clair Ridge油田的预计开采寿命约为40年，但去年该油田遭遇了生产挑战，产量仅达到2020年预期产量水平的三分之一。
BP持有Clair Ridge油田28.6%的股份。壳牌公司、康菲公司和雪佛龙公司也都持有这个油田的股份，分别为28%、24%和19.4%。
BP表示，新的合伙企业“旨在提高整个Clair Ridge油田的产量，最初的目标是将该油田第二阶段开发的Clair Ridge油田的平均稠油年产量提高15%。这将通过更安全、更有效地钻出质量最好的井，并在单个协作团队中利用每家公司的先进技能和专业知识来实现。”
更大的创新和新技术的使用将使BP能够钻出定向井，以更有效地获取石油储量。由于北海这个地区的原油比该地区其他地方的轻质原油重得多，因此开采难度更大，需要合伙企业中每家公司的专业知识才能成功生产稠油。
此次合作意味着BP、贝克休斯公司和Oldfjell 钻井公司将成立一个由各家公司代表组成的指导小组，共同决定如何有效钻井。
贝克休斯欧洲油田服务副总裁Marianne Davenport表示：“利用先进的远程作业模式和数字解决方案，这个联盟是朝着更安全、更有利可图和更低碳强度作业的共同征程上的一个重要里程碑。”
就在几周前，国际能源署(IEA)的一份报告建议从化石燃料生产转向可再生能源生产。不过，英国已经明确表明了自己的立场，它无意放弃其石油资源丰富的北海项目的生产。
一家政府机构向媒体透露，英国政府在3月份达成协议，允许北海地区继续获得海上开采许可证后，合伙企业打算继续在北海进行勘探。
英国商业、能源和工业战略部在回复电子邮件问题时对路透社表示：“我们正在努力降低对化石燃料的需求，然而，英国对石油和天然气的需求仍将持续。”
“而且，我们不会取消最近颁发的许可证。未来任何许可证的颁发都必须符合英国政府的气候变化远大目标，包括英国到2050年达到净零排放的目标。”
然而，作为11月在苏格兰格拉斯哥举行的联合国气候变化会议(COP26)的主办国，以及受国际能源署委托制定到2050年实现净零排放的路线图，英国政府在这一决定上面临着争议。批评人士说，英国在气候变化谈判中扮演的角色与其在北海石油问题上的立场不一致。
李峻 编译自 油价网
原文如下：
UK Ramps Up North Sea Oil Production
Oil production in the U.K. isn’t dead just yet, as BP strikes a deal with Baker Hughes and Norway's Oldfjell Drilling to enhance production at the Clair Ridge heavy oil field following recent challenges to production.
BP will use the latest technologies and expertise from this new partnership to boost drilling in 7 billion-barrel Clair Ridge, the U.K.’s largest oil field. Initial aims include increasing output by 15 percent annually.
The Clair Ridge oilfield, which consists of two bridge-linked platforms, was developed in 2018 at a cost of $10 billion, with a projected output of 120,000 bpd of oil. Clair had an expected shelf life of around 40 years but hit production challenges last year, meeting only a third of its anticipated output levels in 2020.
BP operates the oilfield with a stake of 28.6%. Shell, ConocoPhillips and Chevron all also hold a stake in the field, with 28 percent, 24 percent and 19.4 percent respectively.
BP stated that the new partnership "aims to improve production across Clair, initially targeting a 15 percent increase in average annual production on Clair Ridge, the second phase development of the field. This will be achieved through drilling the best quality wells safely and more efficiently and harnessing the skills and expertise of each company in a single collaborative team".
Greater innovation and the use of new technology will allow BP to drill targeted wells to access the oil reserves more effectively. As crude oil in this region of the North Sea is much heavier than other lighter oil in other parts of the area it is harder to extract and will require the expertise of each company in the partnership for successful oil production.
The partnership will mean the establishment of a steering group of representatives from BP, Baker Hughes and Oldfjell Drilling to make joint decision on effective well drilling.
“Using progressive remote operations models and digital solutions, this alliance is an important milestone on the shared journey towards safer, more profitable and lower carbon intensity operations.”, stated Marianne Davenport, vice president for oilfield services Europe at Baker Hughes.
This partnership comes just weeks after an International Energy Agency (IEA) report recommended a shift away from fossil fuel production in favour of renewable alternatives. However, the U.K. has made its stance clear, it has no intention of giving up on production in its oil-rich North Sea projects.
A government body told media sources that it intends to continue exploration in the North Sea, after the government reached a deal in March allowing offshore licenses in the region to continue.
"We are working hard to drive down demand for fossil fuels, however, there will continue to be ongoing demand for oil and gas," the UK department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy told Reuters in response to emailed questions.
Further, "We will not be cancelling licenses that were recently awarded. Any future licenses are only awarded on the basis that they are aligned with the government's broad climate change ambitions, including the UK’s target of reaching net-zero by 2050."
However, the U.K. government has faced controversy over this decision owing to its role as host to the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, in November as well as being commissioned by the IEA to develop a path towards net-zero emissions by 2050. Critics say the U.K.’s role at the helm of climate change talks is at odds with its stance on North Sea oil.
