Type:
Gas
Facility:
Production
Water Depth:
24
Installed:
1999
meters
Block:
49/17
Design:
Fixed steel
Sub Structure:
452.23
Topsides Wgt:
446.65
tonnes
tonnes
Intro
Viking LD is an unmanned fixed wellhead platform in the Viking gas field in the UK Southern North Sea, installed circa 1999 to access satellite reservoirs in Block 49/17. It forms part of the Viking B complex, historically tied into the broader Viking export network. The platform hosts multiple well slots and connects to infrastructure for offshore gathering and export.
Field
The Viking gas field consists of multiple accumulations in Blocks 49/12, 49/16 and 49/17. It is a Rotliegend sandstone gas reservoir discovered in 1965 with production from the early 1970s; satellites like LD were added later to access additional reserves and support sustained field output into the Viking export system.
Facilities
Viking LD’s installation comprises a fixed jacket with topside wellheads, Xmas trees and manifold interfaces. It has minimal processing; produced gas historically flowed via infield pipelines to the Viking B host platform and onward through the Viking export system to the Theddlethorpe Gas Terminal. Utility systems include remotely operated safety shutdown valves, instrument power circuits, and chemical injection systems for hydrate and corrosion control. The platform is unmanned, remotely monitored and controlled, with periodic maintenance access. Flow assurance is supported by pigging facilities and corrosion mitigation. Structural and safety systems meet UKCS standards. With field decline and system cessation, Viking installations are in decommissioning or removal phases.
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