Type:
Gas
Facility:
Production
Water Depth:
30
Installed:
1971
meters
Block:
49/23
Design:
Fixed steel
Sub Structure:
1651
Topsides Wgt:
7500
tonnes
tonnes
Intro
AC is a steel jacket compression platform on the Indefatigable (Inde) West development in Blocks 49/18 and 49/23 of the UK Southern North Sea. Installed in 1980, it supports export gas compression and linkage to other Inde West platforms. It handles dry gas and condensate, forming part of the hub that feeds Bacton Gas Terminal via downstream infrastructure.
Field
The Indefatigable gas field is a major Permian Rotliegendes sandstone gas accumulation about 100-km northeast of Bacton, discovered in 1966 and first produced in 1971. It spans Blocks 49/18, 49/19, 49/23 and 49/24, containing high-quality reservoir with significant gas volumes developed through multiple platform complexes and subsea tie-backs.
Facilities
AC hosts large compression modules to boost gas export pressure from Inde West wells into the export system and onward to onshore terminals. It includes gas suction and discharge compressors, coolers, drivers, and associated control systems. Fluids from nearby production platforms (AD/AP, BD/BP, CD/CP) and subsea wells are combined upstream, with AC’s compressors ensuring gas meets delivery pressure for export pipelines. Typical utilities include electrical power generation/distribution, instrument air, fire water, and emergency shutdown systems. Gas metering and export manifolds interface with subsea pipelines tying AC to adjacent production platforms; slugging and separation duties are handled upstream at production platforms or a central processing hub where installed. AC’s structural jacket is designed for North Sea wave and wind loading, supporting heavy rotating equipment and elevated compressions decks. Remote monitoring and control systems link to shore for integrated operations and safety management, reducing offshore personnel requirements while maintaining field reliability.
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