TotalEnergies winding down commissioning ops at giant North Sea gas project

Despite hurdles, TotalEnergies EP Danmark, a subsidiary of France’s energy giant TotalEnergies, has made progress in boosting the commissioning and ramp-up efforts to unlock the full production capacity at its natural gas redevelopment project in the Danish sector of the North Sea. The project has now achieved the level required for full operation.

The members of the Danish Underground Consortium (DUC), which entails TotalEnergies EP Denmark (operator, 43.2%), BlueNord (36.8%), and Nordsøfonden (20%), have taken steps to wrap up all necessary activities at the Tyra II facility to reach full operation after hitting the full technical capacity milestone, paving the way with a gradual increase to maximum production capacity.  

The project ran into several obstacles following the first gas export from the Tyra II to Denmark in March 2024 due to challenges related to two transformers supplying power to the vital gas compressors delaying full commissioning. As repairs moved forward, progress was made in commissioning activities.

As a result, the full technical capacity was anticipated to be reached between November 5th and 15^th 2024, subject to remaining operational uncertainties. However, the final stage of the ramp-up was affected by inclement weather and minor operational occurrences, bumping the plateau production to February 2025.

According to TotalEnergies’ partner, BlueNord, the Tyra redevelopment project achieved a gas export rate above 200 mmscfpd, corresponding to approximately 23 mboepd net to the company, including associated liquids production.

The firm underlines that the gas export rate exceeds the threshold of 191 mmscfpd required by the Tyra completion test, which states that gas export must surpass 191 mmscfpd on average over a rolling 30-day period.

“Upon meeting the Tyra completion test, BlueNord will reach an important milestone and be able to commence distributions to its shareholders. Based on current performance and the continued progress of the ramp-up phase, the company anticipates meeting this 30-day average requirement of 191 mmscfpd in mid-March,” highlighted the firm.

Meanwhile, TotalEnergies notes that the gas production level meets its previously communicated target under remit, thereby concluding this process for Tyra II. The operator also emphasizes that the Tyra gas hub is expected to supply up to 2.8 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

With this in mind, BlueNord anticipates a gross plateau production of approximately 80 mboepd to be reached in March. TotalEnergies has worked to put all the required pieces in place to establish the full gas flow from the Tyra and surrounding satellite fields in a bid to achieve full production from the Tyra hub.

TotalEnergies has confirmed that Tyra has reached full operation, which marks the end of the Tyra reconstruction project, enabling Denmark to be both self-sufficient and a net exporter of gas again, supporting Danish and European supply security. Tyra has been an important part of the country’s gas supply since 1984.

Ole Hansen, CEO of TotalEnergies EP Denmark, commented: “It is crucial for us that Tyra has now achieved full operation. We have been working to achieve this since 2019, when we temporarily stopped production to enable the reconstruction. The production ensures Denmark a stable gas supply while we develop a greener energy system.

“The Tyra gas plant is expected to deliver up to 2.8 billion cubic meters of gas per year, which is comparable to Denmark’s annual gas consumption of 1.4 billion cubic meters in 2024. Therefore, the production also contributes to the security of supply of our European neighbors.”

The operator claims that Tyra is one of the world’s most technologically advanced offshore installations, which can be remotely controlled from land and produce gas with lower CO2 emissions because of the simplified infrastructure, 100,000 data points collected via sensors, new processes, lower production levels, and improved energy efficiency.

The Tyra II project can produce and export gas from several fields, including Tyra East, Tyra West, Tyra Southeast, Harald, Valdemar, and Roar. This gas is delivered to Europe through export pipelines to Nybro in Denmark and Den Helder in the Netherlands.

Hansen added: “Tyra will play a crucial role in Denmark’s energy landscape for the coming decades by delivering Danish gas from the North Sea with 30% lower CO2 emissions compared to the previous facility. The highly complex reconstruction is proof that the offshore industry in the North Sea based in Esbjerg is world-class.

“A task that would not have been possible without the thousands of skilled and dedicated employees from the many global and local companies who have spent more than 46 million man-hours getting us where we are today.”

The company claims that almost 50% of Denmark’s energy consumption is still covered by oil and gas, despite its trailblazer status in clean energy deployment. The Tyra project is expected to amount to approximately 6% of the European Union’s natural gas production, making Denmark a net gas exporter once again.

Tyra, deemed to be the country’s largest natural gas field, was the center for processing and exporting over 90% of the natural gas produced in the Danish part of the North Sea before it was rebuilt. The overhaul was considered necessary because of the field’s natural subsidence of the chalk reservoir after many years of production.

The redevelopment of the Tyra field entailed three main elements: decommissioning and recycling the old Tyra platforms; reuse and 13-meter extension of the existing legs on six platforms, which have new topsides; a completely new process module and a new residential platform.

TotalEnergies believes that Tyra II will ensure continued production of natural gas with 30% less CO2 emissions than before the shutdown and will contribute to energy security and independence both in Denmark and Europe through the export pipelines to Nybro and Den Helder.

Recently, TotalEnergies and Italy’s Eni inked a deal with Cyprus and Egypt to develop an offshore project by exporting natural gas from the field off the coast of Cyprus through Egypt.