# Planets gas fields

The Planets gas fields are small natural gas producing areas in the UK sector of the southern North Sea, their names are associated with the planets and moons of the solar system. The fields started gas production from 1995, although some have now (2021) ceased operation.

## The fields

The Planets fields are in Quadrants 47, 48 and 49 and have been owned and operated by a range of successive organisations. The fields are named after planets, minor planets, moons and asteroids. The planetary fields reservoir parameters are as shown.
The Planets fields reservoir parameters :
| Field | Block | Coordinates | Gas reservoir | Gas reserves (billion cubic feet (bcf)) | Discovered | Licensee(s), Operator(s) |
| Atlas (part of Saturn) | 48/10 | – | Rotliegendes sandstone | | | Conoco, ConocoPhillips, Chrysaor, Harbour Energy |
| Callisto (part of Jupiter) | 49/22 | 53.242478 2.387881 | Rotliegendes sandstone | | 1990 | Conoco, ConocoPhillips, Chrysaor, Harbour Energy |
| Callisto North | 49/22 | | | | | |
| Ceres (formerly Barbarossa) | 47/9c | 53.779844 0.715501 | Rotliegendes sandstone | | 1982 | Centrica, Venture, Spirit Energy |
| Eris (formerly Channon) | 47/8c | 53.779844 0.569834 | Rotliegendes sandstone | | | Centrica, Venture, Spirit Energy |
| Europa (part of Jupiter) | 49/22 | 53.247869 2.297147 | Rotliegendes sandstone | | | Conoco, ConocoPhillips, Chrysaor, Harbour Energy |
| Ganymede (part of Jupiter) | 49/22 | 53.324767 2.238108 | Rotliegendes sandstone | | 1972 | Conoco, ConocoPhillips, Chrysaor, Harbour Energy |
| Hyperion (part of Saturn) | 48/10 | – | Rotliegendes sandstone | | | Conoco, ConocoPhillips, Chrysaor, Harbour Energy |
| Jupiter (Callisto, Europa, Ganymede and Sinope) | – | – | – | | | |
| Mercury | 47/9b | 53.766667 0.633333 | Rotliegendes sandstone | 465 bcf (with Neptune) | 1983 | BG, Perenco |
| Mimas | 48/09a | 53.762931 1.706019 | | | 1989 | Conoco, ConocoPhillips, Chrysaor, Harbour Energy |
| Minerva | 47/3 | 53.950147 0.594915 | | | | Perenco |
| Neptune | 47/4b | 53.483333 0.783333 | Rotliegendes sandstone | 465 bcf (with Neptune) | 1985 | BG, Perenco |
| Rhea (part of Saturn) | 48/10 | – | Rotliegendes sandstone | | | Conoco, ConocoPhillips, Chrysaor, Harbour Energy |
| Saturn (Atlas, Hyperion, Rhea) | 48/10a | 53.800944 2.026389 | Rotliegendes sandstone | | | Conoco, ConocoPhillips, Chrysaor, Harbour Energy |
| Sinope (part of Jupiter) | 49/22 | | | | | Conoco, ConocoPhillips, Chrysaor, Harbour Energy |
| Tethys | 49/11b | 53.659256 2.125656 | | | | Conoco, ConocoPhillips, Chrysaor, Harbour Energy |

## Developments

The fields were developed with an array of platforms and subsea completions. Production from the fields was routed via existing infrastructure to the onshore Easington and the (now closed) Theddlethorpe gas terminals.
| Field | Water depth, metres | Field installations | Export to | Export pipeline, length and diameter (inches) | Production started | Status |
| Atlas | – | See Saturn | – | – | – | – |
| Callisto | 22 | Subsea wellhead ZM | Ganymede ZD Platform | 12” | 1995 | Ceased production 2016 |
| Callisto North | | | | | | |
| Ceres | 29 | Subsea wellhead | Mercury Platform | 6” | 2010 | |
| Eris | 41 | Subsea wellhead | Mercury Platform | 8” | 2010 | |
| Europa | 35 | Steel Platform EZ | Tee on ZM–Ganymede pipeline | 12” | 2000 | Ceased production 2016 |
| Ganymede | 35 | Steel Platform ZD | LOGGS PR Platform | 20 km, 18” | 1995 | Ceased production 2016 |
| Hyperion | – | See Saturn | – | – | – | – |
| Jupiter | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mercury | 30 | Subsea wellhead | Cleeton Platform | 10” | 1999 | Part of Easington Catchment Area development |
| Mimas | 27 | Steel Platform MN | Saturn Platform | 13.5 km, 10” | 2006 | |
| Minerva | 40 | Steel Platform | Cleeton Platform | 12” | 2003 | |
| Neptune | 47 | Steel Platform | Cleeton Platform | 16” | 1999 | Part of Easington Catchment Area development |
| Rhea | – | See Saturn | – | – | – | – |
| Saturn | 26 | Steel Platform ND | LOGGS PR Platform | 43 km, 14” | 2005 | |
| Saturn (south part) | 30 | Subsea wellheads Annabel AB1 and AB2 | Audrey A (WD) platform | 17.8 km, 10" | 2005 | Decommissioned 2016 |
| Sinope | 35 | Subsea wellhead | Tee between Europa EZ and PL1091 | | 1998 | Ceased production 2016 |
| Tethys | 32 | Steel Platform TN | Saturn-LOGGS pipeline | 3.7km, 10” | 2006 | Ceased production 2016 |

## Production

The peak and cumulative production of gas from the fields was as follows.
Peak and cumulative gas production :
| Field | Peak production, million cubic metres (mcm)/year | Peak year | Cumulative production to 2014, mcm |
| Atlas | – | – | – |
| Callisto | 254 | 1996 | 1,377 |
| Callisto North | – | – | – |
| Ceres | 182 | 2014 | 218 |
| Eris | 380 | 2014 | 227 |
| Europa | 451 | 2001 | 2,132 |
| Ganymede | 1,708 | 1996 | 7,734 |
| Hyperion | – | – | – |
| Jupiter | – | – | – |
| Mercury | 627 | 2001 | 3,069 |
| Mimas | 217 | 2008 | 878 |
| Minerva | 577 | 2003 | 3,601 |
| Neptune | 2,007 | 2001 | 10,978 |
| Rhea | – | – | – |
| Saturn | 1,598 | 2007 | 8,653 |
| Sinope | 274 | 2000 | 372 |
| Tethys | 221 | 2007 | 483 |
The gas production profile from Neptune (in mcm) was as follows: