{{Short description|Natural gas fields in North Yorkshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Use British English|date=September 2024}} The '''Ryedale gas fields''', also known as the '''Vale of Pickering gas fields''', comprise four onshore gas producing fields in North Yorkshire, United Kingdom. The fields were discovered between 1970 and 1991. From 1995 to 2019 the gas was used as fuel for the gas-turbine driven Knapton power station. Production of gas from the fields was suspended in 2020.
== Description == The Ryedale gas fields are in the Vale of Pickering in the former Ryedale District of North Yorkshire. The fields are on the Southern margin of the Cleveland Basin gas dome a known prospective for natural gas.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Harrison |first=D. |date=2020 |title=The Vale of Pickering gas fields: Kirby Misperton, Malton, Marishes and Pickering, North Yorkshire, UK Onshore |url=https://doi.org/10.1144/M52-2017-33 |journal=Geological Society, London, Memoirs |location=London |volume=52 |pages=82–93|doi=10.1144/M52-2017-33 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> The subsurface gas reservoirs are in the Permian age Kirkham Abbey limestone carbonates and also in the underlying sandstone reservoir of the Carboniferous age.<ref name=":0" /> The key properties of the reservoirs, the gases and some of the infrastructure are summarised in the table. {| class="wikitable" |+Ryedale gas fields key data summary, adapted from Harrison et al.<ref name=":0" /> | colspan="2" |Field name | colspan="3" |'''Kirby Misperton''' | colspan="2" |'''Malton''' | colspan="2" |'''Marishes''' |'''Pickering''' |- | colspan="2" |Block and licence number | colspan="3" |PL080a | colspan="2" |PL080a | colspan="2" |DL005 | |- | colspan="2" |Field area (km<sup>2</sup>) | colspan="2" |5.3 |6.9 | colspan="2" |4.8 | colspan="2" |2.2 |8.3 |- | colspan="2" |Geological age | colspan="2" |Permian |Carboniferous | colspan="2" |Permian | colspan="2" |Permian |Permian |- | colspan="2" |Geological formation | colspan="2" |Kirkham Abbey |Millstone Grit | colspan="2" |Kirkham Abbey | colspan="2" |Kirkham Abbey |Kirkham Abbey |- | colspan="2" |Depth to crest of reservoir (Feet true vertical depth subsea – ft TVDSS) | colspan="2" |4,000 |5,000 | colspan="2" |4,000 | colspan="2" |4,430 |4,210 |- | colspan="2" |Temperature (°F at crest) | colspan="2" |105 |125 | colspan="2" |105 | colspan="2" |111 |108 |- | colspan="2" |Initial pressure (pounds force per square inch absolute – psia at ft TVDSS) | colspan="2" |2,025 at 4,272 |2,581 at 5,208 | colspan="2" |1,974 at 4,074 | colspan="2" |2,210 at 4,499 |2,156 at 4,482 |- | colspan="2" |Gas initially in place (billion cubic feet) | colspan="2" |50.1 |17.1 | colspan="2" |17.4 | colspan="2" |11.8 |76.5 |- | colspan="2" |Average porosity (%) | colspan="2" |12–13 |11 | colspan="2" |12–13 | colspan="2" |12–13 |12–13 |- | colspan="2" |Average permeability (mD) | colspan="2" |0.1–1 |1 | colspan="2" |0.1–1 | colspan="2" |0.1–1 |0.1–1 |- | colspan="2" |Sour gases: CO<sub>2,</sub>H<sub>2</sub>S (%) | colspan="2" |0.69, 0.1 |0.54, 0 | colspan="2" |1.36, 0.09 | colspan="2" |0.45, 0.05 |0.33, 0.07 |- | colspan="2" |Gas specific gravity | colspan="2" |0.604 |0.605 | colspan="2" |0.646 | colspan="2" |0.605 |0.585 |- | colspan="2" |Calorific value (British Thermal Units per standard cubic feet – BTU/scf) | colspan="2" |947 |955 | colspan="2" |993 | colspan="2" |956 |1028 |- | colspan="2" |Initial condensate/gas ratio (barrels per million standard cubic feet – bbl/MMscf) | colspan="2" |10 |1 | colspan="2" |10 | colspan="2" |2.5 |10 |- | colspan="2" |Date discovered | colspan="2" |1985 |1985 | colspan="2" |1970 | colspan="2" |1988 |1991 |- | colspan="2" |Date of first gas | colspan="2" |Feb 1995 |Dec 1994 | colspan="2" |Sep 1995 | colspan="2" |Jan 1995 |Nov 2001 |- | colspan="2" |Number of production wells | colspan="2" |6 |1 | colspan="2" |2 | colspan="2" |3 (inc. 2 horizontal) |2 |- | colspan="2" |Number of injection wells | colspan="2" |1 | | colspan="2" | | colspan="2" | | |- | colspan="2" |Initial Production rate (million standard cubic feet of gas per day – MMscfgd) | colspan="2" |6 |6 | colspan="2" |5–9 | colspan="2" |4–6 |4–5 |- | colspan="2" |Cumulative production (billion cubic feet) to March 2018 | colspan="2" |6.7 |6.8 | colspan="2" |9 | colspan="2" |3.4 |4.4 |} Gas from the fields was piped to the Knapton power station where it was treated to remove sulphur and used as fuel to power the 42 MWe gas-turbine to generate electricity.<ref name=":1">Knapton Generating Station, Scottish Power publicity brochure undated c. 2000</ref> The power station was opened in 1995 and was taken offline in 2020 and was dismantled in 2021.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Knapton power station |url=https://www.gem.wiki/Knapton_power_station |access-date=28 September 2024}}</ref>
== Ownership == At the start of the North Yorkshire Power Project in the early 1990s, the gas fields were licensed by KeltPower<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Department of Trade and Industry |title=The Energy Report |publisher=HMSO |year=1994 |isbn=0115153802 |location=London |pages=63, 69, 70}}</ref> who encouraged Scottish Power to build a 42 MW power station as the gas is very local, and no expensive gas compressors would be needed.<ref name=":1" /> Scottish Power bought gas from the fields at a price in the power station contract that was much lower (almost half) than that which the price of gas subsequently became. Gas from the gas fields was piped to the power station at East Knapton via six-inch pipelines.<ref name=":1" />
The Ryedale gas fields and Knapton power station were bought by UK Energy Systems Ltd for $70 million from Viking UK Gas Ltd (owned by Viking Petroleum of Houston) who owned the fields since December 2003 and this company is still based in East Knapton as part of the acquisition. The fields were previously (since 1999) owned 60% by Tullow Oil (who sold their stake for $8.3 million in October 2003) and 40% by Edinburgh Oil & Gas plc (who sold their stake for £3.2 million). The fields were bought by Kelt UK Ltd (owned by Kelt Energy plc and Edinburgh Oil & Gas plc) from Candecca Resources Ltd (owned by BP) in 1992.
CeraPhi announced on 5 February 2024 that it had bought Third Energy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ryedale gas licences lapse and former fracking firm changes hands again |date=6 February 2024 |url=https://drillordrop.com/2024/02/06/ryedale-gas-licences-lapse-and-former-fracking-firm-changes-hands-again/ |access-date=28 September 2024}}</ref>
== The fields ==
=== Kirby Misperton === This field is at Kirby Misperton near the Flamingo Land Resort. The gas field was discovered in January 1985 and production started in March 1995. The field was estimated to have recoverable reserves of 0.46 billion cubic metres.<ref name=":3" /> This site originally had three wells designated KM1 and KM3 (near Kirby Misperton) and KM2 (near Little Barugh). Well KM1 produced from the Carboniferous reservoir. Well KM3 is an injection well returning water and condensate into the reservoir. Gas was also received from the Malton site and the combined gas flow is piped to the Marishes site.<ref name=":1" />
In August 1996 well KM2 lost delivery of gas which was believed to be due to water influx.<ref name=":0" /> The well was subsequently side-tracked in 2006 and redesignated KM4. It too was affected by water ingress. Well KM5 was drilled in 2009 and up to 2020 had produced 2.6 billion cubic feet (bcf) (73.6 million cubic metres) of gas. Well KM1 produced gas from the Carboniferous accumulation from December 1994 at 6 MMscfd. By 2020 it had produced a total of 6.8 bcf (193 million m<sup>3</sup>). Wells KM6 and KM7 were not successful producers.<ref name=":0" />
=== Malton === Malton gas field was discovered in 1970.<ref>{{Cite web |title=European Oil and Gas Industry History Conference, 3–4 March 2016, pp. 24–5 |url=https://www.geolsoc.org.uk/~/media/shared/documents/specialist%20and%20regional%20groups/petroleum/Oil%20History%20Abstract%20Book.pdf?la=en |access-date=28 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Centrica plan green energy hub at former gas power plant |date=16 September 2024 |url=https://www.centrica.com/media-centre/news/2023/centrica-plan-green-energy-hub-at-former-gas-power-plant/ |access-date=28 September 2024}}</ref> with production starting in September 1995. The field was estimated to have recoverable reserves of 0.27 billion cubic metres.<ref name=":3" /> The site has two wells designated MN1 and MN4, both near Great Habton. Gas is piped to the Kirby Misperton site.<ref name=":1" />
Well MN1 started production at 5 MMscfd in 1996 and produced 2.85 bcf (80.7 million m<sup>3</sup>) by 2001. Well MN4 started production at 9 MMscfd in 1996 and had produced 6.1 bcf (173 million m<sup>3</sup>) by 2001. Both were affected by water ingress. Further wells (MN2 and MN3) were subsequently drilled but were not successful.<ref name=":0" />
=== Marishes === Marishes gas field is near High Marishes and Low Marishes near the confluence of the River Derwent and the River Rye, just north of East Knapton. This field was discovered in November 1988. The field was estimated to have recoverable reserves of 0.22 billion cubic metres.<ref name=":3" /> Production started in April 1995. The site has three wells designated MR1, MR2z and MR3y. MR1 produced 1.8 bcf (51 million m<sup>3</sup>) of gas over 6 years at 4 to 1 MMscfd. Well MR2z produced 1.3 bcf (37 million m<sup>3</sup>). MR3y produces at less than 0.5 MMscfd.<ref name=":0" /> Gas is received from the Kirby Misperton site and the combined gas flow is piped to the Knapton generating station site.<ref name=":1" /> The Marishes site is subject to flooding when river levels are high.
=== Pickering === The Pickering gas field was discovered in January 1992 with production starting in November 2001. Well PK1 had produced 2.1 bcf (59.5 million m<sup>3</sup>) when it ceased production in 2008. PK2 initially produced at 5 MMscfd but this fell rapidly.<ref name=":0" />
Other gas fields around Pickering were initially developed by Home Oil of Calgary, Alberta, Canada in the 1970s. A natural gas processing facility was formerly (1969–74) located in Pickering to treat gas from the Lockton gas field under the North York Moors National Park.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Huxley |first=J. |title=Britain's Onshore Oil Industry |publisher=Springer |year=1983 |pages=66–68}}</ref> See Pickering natural gas industry.
== Proposed developments == In 2022 Third Energy undertook a study to investigate the use of hot water from the reservoirs at up to 90 deg C to heat homes in the district.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gas wells in Ryedale, UK being appraised for geothermal power |date=25 May 2022 |url=https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/gas-wells-in-ryedale-uk-being-appraised-for-geothermal-power/ |access-date=28 September 2024}}</ref>
Third Energy have proposed to develop the Knapton Energy Park with solar, combined heat/power (CHP), battery storage, and hydrogen technologies.<ref name=":2" />
== References == {{reflist}}
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Category:Natural gas-fired power stations in England Category:Natural gas fields in the United Kingdom Category:North Yorkshire