Piper oilfield

oilfield covering 30.1 km² (11½ sq. mi.). It lies roughly halfway between Aberdeen and Bergen, at the eastern end of the Moray Firth basin.^[1] Oil extracted from it is piped to Scotland, where it is stabilised at an oil plant on the island of Flotta, in the Orkney archipelago, while gas is shipped via the Frigg gas pipeline.^[1] In June 1975, the Piper Alpha oil platform was placed over the field in 144 metres (79 fathoms) of water, secured in place by 24 piles extending 116 metres (63 fathoms) beneath the seabed. The platform was designed for simultaneous drilling and production.^[1] Piper Alpha was the site of one of the world's worst oil platform disasters when it was destroyed by an explosion in 1988, with the loss of 167 lives. Piper Bravo was installed in 1992.^[2] Talisman Energy acquired a controlling interest in 2000.^[3]

Orkney Islands to receive and process oil from the Piper, Claymore and Tartan fields, each with its own platform. A 30-inch (760 mm) diameter main oil pipeline ran 128 miles (206 km) from Piper Alpha to Flotta, with a short oil pipeline from the Claymore platform joining it some 20 miles (32 km) to the west. The Tartan field also fed oil to Claymore and then onto the main line to Flotta.^[4]

Oil-water contact ranging in depths from 2195 to 2804 metres (7201' to 9200') under the sea.^[1] Piper oil most likely originated in the Kimmeridge Shale.^[5]