Chevron North Sea said it finally started production at the Alder high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) gas condensate field in the Central North Sea discovered 41 years ago — thanks to new technology and innovation.

“Discovered in 1975, the development has been enabled through the application of innovative subsea technologies designed to meet the temperature and pressure challenges of Alder,” said Chevron.

Key technologies involved have included a number of firsts for Chevron in the North Sea.

Alder is located in water depths of approximately 492 feet (150 metres). Alder condensate will be exported via the Forties Pipeline System to Grangemouth terminal and Alder gas will be exported to the Scottish Area Gas Evacuation terminal at St Fergus, near Peterhead.

Alder is operated by Chevron North Sea Limited (73.7%) and ConocoPhillips (U.K.) Limited holds a 26.3% interest in the field.

“First gas at Alder represents a significant milestone for Chevron and highlights our commitment to investing and developing resources in the UK,” said Greta Lydecker, managing director, Chevron Upstream Europe.

“The safe and successful completion of this project was underpinned by strong collaboration between Chevron and Alder co-venturer ConocoPhillips.

“Alder supports our goal of helping maximize the economic recovery of the UK, adds significant production to our portfolio, and helps extend the field life of Britannia, an important asset to Chevron in the North Sea.”

Andy Samuel, chief executive at The Oil and Gas Authority, said: “We are very pleased to see the safe flow of first gas from the Alder Field.

“Chevron’s application of innovative subsea technologies and use of the U.K.’s experienced supply chain is closely aligned to the Maximising Economic Recovery Strategy, adding reserves and extending the life of an existing asset.”

The project has a planned capacity of 110 million cubic feet of natural gas and 14,000 barrels of condensate per day. Production from the Alder Field is expected to ramp up in the coming months.

More than 70% of the Alder development work was executed by UK-based companies, providing significant investment to the UK supply chain.

The contracts supported several hundred jobs across a range of UK locations including Aberdeen, Invergordon, Leeds and Newcastle.