Consideration of Compaction and Subsidence for Site Characterization in Offshore Wind Farm and Oilfield Co-location

A case study was presented concerning the depletion of the Blythe Field in the Southern North Sea and its potential impact on the overlying Dudgeon windfarm. An analytical solution was provided, along with comparisons to the well-studied Groningen Field, before presenting the results. The primary focus of the analysis was to assess how oil and gas activities could coexist with other operations in the same location, particularly examining the impact between surface and sub-surface infrastructures. Blythe and Elgood, discovered between 1966 and 1990, now lie beneath the Dudgeon windfarm. The production plan will induce pore pressure decrease and reservoir compaction, potentially affecting the overburden sequence, necessitating evaluation.

The study’s outcomes, validated by comparing them with the Groningen Field, indicate that the production and depletion of the Blythe Field are unlikely to significantly affect the Dudgeon windfarm located directly above it on the seabed. Such analyses facilitate the secure evaluation of traditional oil and gas operations alongside alternative energy production for co-location within the same vicinity, optimizing energy generation possibilities while mitigating risks to infrastructure, the environment, and health and safety.