Type:
Gas
Facility:
Production
Water Depth:
28
Installed:
1995
meters
Block:
49/23
Design:
Fixed steel
Sub Structure:
780
Topsides Wgt:
481
tonnes
tonnes
Intro
Bessemer is an unmanned fixed steel wellhead and processing platform located in the UK southern North Sea, Block 49/26. Installed in 2000, it produces gas from the Bessemer field and operates as a normally unattended installation. Gas is exported via subsea pipeline to the Bacton Gas Terminal through nearby infrastructure.
Field
The Bessemer gas field lies in the southern North Sea within the Leman Sandstone gas province. Discovered in the 1990s, it produces dry gas from Permian Rotliegend sandstone reservoirs. The field was developed as a small, efficient standalone gas development.
Facilities
Bessemer supports a limited number of production wells tied into compact topside processing facilities. Infrastructure includes wellhead equipment, manifold systems, and basic gas treatment such as separation and dehydration sufficient for pipeline export. The platform operates without permanent accommodation, relying on remote monitoring and control from shore or a host facility. Utilities include minimal power generation, chemical injection, and control systems designed for unmanned operation. Gas is exported via subsea pipeline into the southern North Sea gas network leading to Bacton. Safety systems include emergency shutdown, fire and gas detection, and remotely operated isolation valves. The fixed steel structure emphasizes simplicity, low operating cost, and long-term gas production reliability.
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