Forties pipeline system
Encyclopedia
The Forties pipeline system (FPS) is a pre-eminent pipeline network
in the North Sea
carrying 30% of the UK's oil
, or about 700 koilbbl/d of oil a day, to shore. It is owned and operated by UK-based global energy company BP
, who retained the asset after selling the Forties oilfield
to Apache Corp.
in 2003. Fifty assets tie BP's export lines into the FPS either directly or through intermediate hubs, eventually joining at either Forties Charlie or Forties Unity.
FPS consists of a 36 inches (914.4 mm) pipeline originating at Apache Corp.
's Forties Charlie platform. The pipeline carries crude oil 169 kilometres (105 mi), routing through the Forties Unity riser platform, to the terminal at Cruden Bay
. From there, unstabilised crude is carried to the processing facility at Kinneil, Grangemouth
.
Pipeline transport
Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air are also used....
in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
carrying 30% of the UK's oil
North Sea oil
North Sea oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons, comprising liquid oil and natural gas, produced from oil reservoirs beneath the North Sea.In the oil industry, the term "North Sea" often includes areas such as the Norwegian Sea and the area known as "West of Shetland", "the Atlantic Frontier" or "the...
, or about 700 koilbbl/d of oil a day, to shore. It is owned and operated by UK-based global energy company BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
, who retained the asset after selling the Forties oilfield
Forties oilfield
The Forties Oil Field is the largest oil field in the North Sea, 110 miles east of Aberdeen. It was discovered in 1970 and first produced oil in 1975 under ownership of BP.-History:...
to Apache Corp.
Apache Corp.
Apache Corporation is an American independent oil and gas corporation. It is headquartered in 1 Post Oak Central in the Uptown district of Houston, Texas....
in 2003. Fifty assets tie BP's export lines into the FPS either directly or through intermediate hubs, eventually joining at either Forties Charlie or Forties Unity.
FPS consists of a 36 inches (914.4 mm) pipeline originating at Apache Corp.
Apache Corp.
Apache Corporation is an American independent oil and gas corporation. It is headquartered in 1 Post Oak Central in the Uptown district of Houston, Texas....
's Forties Charlie platform. The pipeline carries crude oil 169 kilometres (105 mi), routing through the Forties Unity riser platform, to the terminal at Cruden Bay
Cruden Bay
Cruden Bay is a small village in Scotland, on the north coast of the Bay of Cruden in Aberdeenshire, 26 miles north of Aberdeen.Just south of Slains Castle, Cruden Bay was the site of a battle between Danes and Scots under King Malcolm II in 1012...
. From there, unstabilised crude is carried to the processing facility at Kinneil, Grangemouth
Grangemouth
Grangemouth is a town and former burgh in the council area of Falkirk, Scotland. The town lies in the Forth Valley, on the banks of the Firth of Forth, east of Falkirk, west of Bo'ness and south-east of Stirling. Grangemouth had a resident population of 17,906 according to the 2001...
.