Alba Northern
A fixed steel jacket drilling, production, utilities and accommodation platform in Block 16/26 of the UK Central North Sea. Installed in 1994 to develop the Alba oil field, it integrates wellheads, processing capacity and quarters on one deck. It exports crude oil to a dedicated Floating Storage Unit (FSU) and supplies associated gas to export systems.
Operator: Ithaca
Status: Operational
Image Source: Ithaca. (All rights belong to the original owner.)
Production: Oil
Operations start: 1994
Water depth: 140 m
Country: UK
Block: 16/26
Type: Fixed steel jacket
Field
The Alba field is a significant oil accumulation in Block 16/26, discovered in 1984 and developed to exploit heavy oil in unconsolidated sands. Oil is the primary hydrocarbon with significant associated gas. Reservoir drive relies on water injection to maintain pressure and support long-term recovery.
Facilities
Alba Northern's topsides are supported on a conventional 8-leg steel jacket sitting in approx. 140-m of water. It has around 24 well slots (15 production, five water injectors, four spares) with horizontal and high-angle wells. The platform integrates central separation equipment to separate oil, gas and water, and high-capacity water injection pumps to support reservoir pressure maintenance. Produced oil is exported to a nearby floating storage unit (FSU) via a connecting pipeline. The FSU serves as the crude buffer and offloading location to shuttle tankers, with dedicated offloading systems and mooring. Associated gas is handled by onboard processing and then exported (or reinjected for pressure support). Utilities include power generation (gas turbines), chemical injection systems (corrosion/flow assurance), accommodation facilities for crew, fire and gas detection, and safety systems. Structural design reflects North Sea metocean conditions.
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