Andy Burnham Set For Clash With MPs Over North Sea Oil And Gas
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in The Times.
This is the sub-heading.
The prime minister must decide whether to approve the Rosebank oilfield and Jackdaw gasfield but will face opposition from backbenchers if he goes ahead
These are the first three paragraphs.
Andy Burnham faces a potential showdown with Labour MPs after suggesting faster extraction of North Sea oil and gas could help pay for the transition to clean energy.
The prime minister is preparing to decide whether to approve the Rosebank oilfield and Jackdaw gasfield after consultations on both projects closed.
Industry sources have told The Times they believe Burnham will approve Jackdaw but may resist calls to go ahead with Rosebank because of opposition from MPs.
These are my thoughts.
My Boiler, Gas And Jackdaw
Consider.
- This year my boiler died. So I spent several thousand pounds, but I did get a new gas boiler with a 12-year guarantee.
- I am now 79, so can this government, or any for that matter, give me a guarantee, that I will live to 91 to get value from my boiler?
- I know enough about heating, as I have installed a couple of systems for myself, to know that my current house is not suitable for a heat pump.
- But it may be suitable for some type of electric data centre boiler like heata, which was invented by British Gas Research. But, I’m not hopeful yet!
- Meanwhile, Centrica have done a large hand-full of deals to keep the country in enough gas to power us through the winter.
- Some of these are MiQ-certified, which is a bit like Organic for methane, except that emissions are kept to a minimum.
- I covered MiQ-certification in What Is MiQ-Certification?.
So provided we don’t get an extreme-left scientifically-incorrect government, led by someone like the lady with pink hair in Hackney, I should be able to keep myself warm in winter.
But would I vote for any party, that was going to cut off my gas supply?
But Centrica have been clever.
- They have plenty of gas storage at Rough.
- Their press releases show they are buying gas according to MiQ.
- Grain LNG Terminal, which they bought last year has an export facility, so any spare gas they have can be exported to a country to replace coal or Russian gas.
- MiQ-certified gas probably fetches a higher price.
- Centrica would be an obvious purchaser for any North Sea gas.
This gives some dates of the players and Jackdaw
- BG Group and Centrica were demerged from British Gas plc in 1997.
- BG Group discovered Jackdaw in 2005.
- BG Group were taken over by Shell in 2015.
If I was the owner of Jackdaw, I would make sure that my gas had the highest MiQ possible.
If I was energy minister, I’d enforce it.
Will Jackdaw Be A Tie-Back To Shearwater?
I’ve read that it might be, so I asked Google AI and received this answer.
Yes, Jackdaw is designed and developed as a 30-kilometer (approx. 18.5 miles) subsea tie-back to the existing Shearwater platform in the central North Sea.
Project Connection Details
Infrastructure: A multi-phase subsea pipeline links the unstaffed Jackdaw wellhead platform directly to the Shearwater hub.
Processing: Hydrocarbons extracted from Jackdaw will be processed and routed through Shearwater before final export onshore to the St Fergus terminal.
Distance: The subsea pipeline spans roughly 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) northwest from the Jackdaw field to the Shearwater installation.
I also found this detailed article on the Chemical Engineer which is entitled Shell To Invest In Shearwater Gas Infrastructure Hub.
Shell certainly seem to be doing comprehensive planning to bring the gas from Jackdaw to the mainland.
- Currently, gas from the Shearwater hub is sent to Bacton in Norfolk.
- After, Jackdaw is connected to Shearwater, the gas will be sent to St. Fergus, which is North of Aberdeen.
- Google AI says that The Shearwater hub is located approximately 140 miles (225 kilometers) east of Aberdeen in the Central North Sea.
It’s probably all in a day’s work for engineers in the North Sea, but it doesn’t sound to be the easiest project to me.
Will The Jackdaw Gas Field Be Used For CO2 Storage?
I felt this could be a possibility, so I asked Google AI, the question and received this answer.
No, the Jackdaw gas field will not be used for CO2 storage.It is an active natural gas extraction project in the North Sea, though CO2 separated from its extracted gas may eventually be routed to external storage.
Field Status and CO2 Handling
Extraction only: The underground reservoirs at Jackdaw contain natural gas and high-pressure/high-temperature hydrocarbons rather than being purposed for carbon storage.
Onshore processing: Gas from the field comes ashore at St Fergus, where carbon dioxide mixed into the raw gas stream is removed during processing.
Broader CCS links: While Jackdaw itself is a producing asset, its operations tie into Shell’s broader involvement with the regional Acorn Carbon Capture and Storage project, which aims to pipe and sequester CO2 elsewhere.
That was a definite no, that Jackdaw will not be used for Carbon Capture and Storage, but the carbon dioxide in the gas may be stored in the Acorn Carbon Capture and Storage project.
Will Centrica Be Applying Just-in-Time-Delivery To Gas Cargoes?
One of the jobs, I was involved in was scheduling container ships for OCL, in the 1970s.
- I’m fairly certain, that ships were speeded up and slowed down, so that ports weren’t overloaded.
- It was all done with my PERT7 project management software, which ran on Time Sharing at Great Portland Street.
I can envisage a clever programmer at Centrica writing a large simulation of all their natural gas deals and calling off gas cargoes, when required.
- Gas tankers would be constantly sailing between the gas fields in the Americas and LNG Terminals like Grain, where the cargo was needed.
- It would be nice to have a local supply of natural gas to fill in the gaps between cargoes, but delaying and speeding up of deliveries would have the same effect.
- I also suspect cargoes could be diverted to Germany, Poland or the highest bidder, when there is a glut of gas.
It could be a classic example of advanced control engineering, but very similar to what OCL were doing fifty years ago.
By applying just-in-time-delivery to gas cargoes, Centrica would reduce the need for storage in the UK.
At least gas doesn’t have a sell-by date!
How Much Liquid Natural Gas Storage Is There At The Grain LNG Terminal?
Google AI gave me this answer to the question in the title of this section.
The Grain LNG terminal on the Isle of Grain in Kent has a total liquid natural gas (LNG) storage capacity of 1.2 million cubic metres (1,200,000 m³) following recent site expansions.
Terminal Storage Overview
Total Capacity: 1.2 million m³ of cryogenic tank space (increased from the original 1.0 million m³ capacity).
Tank Configuration: Consists of massive full-containment cryogenic storage tanks (such as the 190,000 m³ tanks added in phases).
System Throughput: The facility can process up to 15 million tonnes per annum (mtpa), meeting a significant share of the UK’s total gas demand.
It should be remembered that storing gas as liquid reduces the space needed.
What Is The Capacity Of A Typical LNG Carrier?
Google AI gave me this answer to the question in the title of this section.
A typical modern liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier has a cargo capacity of approximately 174,000 cubic meters (m³).
This size has become the conventional standard for new builds, balancing port compatibility with transport scale, though global fleet capacities range widely from small-scale vessels to massive ultra-large ships.
Vessel Size Categories
Small-scale carriers: Hold roughly 1,000 m³ to 40,000 m³, used for regional distribution and bunkering.
Medium-scale carriers: Range from 40,000 m³ to 80,000 m³.
Conventional large carriers: Standard modern designs cluster around 140,000 m³ to 180,000 m³, with 174,000 m³ dominating recent ship orders.
Maxi-size carriers (Q-Flex and Q-Max): Specialized ultra-large vessels reach capacities between 210,000 m³ and 266,000 m³, primarily built to service long-distance routes out of Qatar.
Grain LNG Terminal can hold about four cargoes from the largest LNG Carriers.
My extensive experience of writing scheduling algorithms, which go back to one I wrote at ICI Mond in 1968, feels that by scheduling the arrival of the ships, there may well be enough storage at Grain LNG Terminal to keep the UK in gas.
I wonder, if for some time, Centrica have known, that they don’t need Rough for natural gas storage, which is why they have ambitions to turn it into hydrogen storage.
Unlocking Efficiency With Cryogenic Cooling Of GaN Traction Inverters
The title of this post, is the same as this insight on the Ricardo web site.
This is the introduction.
As the mobility sector accelerates toward zero-carbon propulsion, hydrogen fuel cell systems (HFCS) are emerging as a cornerstone technology for aviation, marine, and long-haul road transport. Among the most promising innovations in this space is the use of liquid hydrogen (LH₂) not only as a fuel source but also as a cryogenic coolant for electric powertrains. This dual-purpose approach offers transformative potential in system efficiency, packaging, and weight reduction—especially when paired with Gallium Nitride (GaN) semiconductors.
It is a very simple concept, but it appears to give worthwhile efficiency gains.
This was the article’s conclusion.
Ricardo’s cryogenic GaN inverter concept represents a bold leap toward ultra-efficient, lightweight, and integrated hydrogen propulsion systems. While challenges remain in materials, packaging, and reliability, the experimental results are compelling. With efficiencies nearing 99.8% and mass reductions over 50%, cryogenic cooling could redefine the future of electric mobility.
As the hydrogen economy matures, innovations like this will be pivotal in delivering clean, scalable, and high-performance solutions across all mobility sectors.
I very much suggest, that you take the time to read the whole insight.
Using The Concept In a Liquid Hydrogen Carrier
This Wikipedia entry describes the design and operation of an ocean-going liquid hydrogen carrier.
This is a paragraph.
Similar to an LNG carrier the boil off gas can be used for propulsion of the ship.
Ricardo’s concept would appear to be advantageous in the design of liquid hydrogen carriers and I would expect, it could also be applied to the design of LNG carriers.
I would not be surprised to see liquid hydrogen and LNG carriers were the first application of Ricardo’s concept.
This Wikipedia entry describes the Suiso Frontier, which is the world’s only liquid hydrogen carrier.
I believe that Ricardo’s concept could lead to the construction of a more of these ships. Will they mean that liquid hydrogen carriers will deliver hydrogen from sunny climes to places like Europe, Japan, Korea and Canada.
The concept would also enable efficient small liquid hydrogen carriers, that could deliver hydrogen on routes like the North of Scotland to Germany.
Using The Concept In A Railway Locomotive
I could see freight locomotives being designed as a large liquid hydrogen tank with appropriately-sized fuel cells and added electrical gubbins.
- They would be self-powered and would not require any electrification.
- They would be much quieter than current diesels.
- They could pull the heaviest freight trains, between Europe and Asia.
- They could even pull passenger trains, if an electrical hotel supply were to be arranged.
- They could be designed with very long ranges.
But above all they would be zero-carbon.
Note that I’ve written about long freight routes before.
- China, Russia And The EU’s Intermarium Bloc
- How To Move 100,000 Containers A Year Between Germany And China
- Georgia, Azerbaijan and Iran Discuss New Freight Corridor To link India And Europe
- Finland And Norway To Explore Building Arctic Rail Link
- A New Gateway To China: Europe Prepares For The Launch Of Baku–Tbilisi–Kars Railway
I believe that a long-distance liquid-hydrogen locomotive, that was based on the Ricardo concept, would be ideal for some of these routes.
A Specialised Hydrogen Delivery Train
In April 2022, I wrote The TruckTrain, where this is a simple description of the concept.
The Basic Design Concept
The leaflet on their web site describes the concept.
This visualisation at the bottom of the leaflet shows four TruckTrains forming a train carrying twelve intermodal containers, each of which I suspect are 20 feet long.
I believe that the TruckTrain concept could be converted into a hydrogen delivery train.
- It would be an appropriate length.
- It would be powered by the on-board hydrogen.
- The hydrogen would be stored as liquid hydrogen.
It would be able to go most places on the UK rail network.
Conclusion
Ricardo’s concept could revolutionise the use of hydrogen.
Have We Enough LNG Carriers To Distribute The Natural Gas We Need?
I recently, asked this question of myself, as liquefied natural gas (LNG), now seems to be being moved all over the world.
Note, that the we in the title of this post, is a global we!
I stated by reading the Wikipedia entry for LNG Carrier.
This paragraph outlines the history of LNG carriers.
The first LNG carrier Methane Pioneer (5,034 DWT), classed by Bureau Veritas, left the Calcasieu River on the Louisiana Gulf coast on 25 January 1959. Carrying the world’s first ocean cargo of LNG, it sailed to the UK where the cargo was delivered. Subsequent expansion of that trade has brought on a large expansion of the fleet to today where giant LNG ships carrying up to 266,000 m3 (9,400,000 cu ft) are sailing worldwide.
The Methane Pioneer carried only 27,000 m3 of LNG.
Things have come a long way since the Methane Pioneer.
This is said in the Wikipedia entry for LNG Carrier.
According to SIGTTO data, in 2019 there were 154 LNG carriers on order, and 584 operating LNG carriers.
I don’t think capacity is a problem.
The Wikipedia entry also talks in detail about Cargo Handling and a Typical Cargo Cycle.
It is a very worthwhile read.
The Anonymous Widower 