The majority of the field’s recoverable gas is expected to be extracted by the end of this decade.
Shell UK has commenced production at the Victory gas field, located around 47km north‑west of the Shetland Islands in the UK North Sea.
The field, which is wholly owned and operated by Shell, will ensure domestically produced gas remains available for UK homes, businesses and electricity generation, stated the company.
Gas will be extracted via a single subsea well and routed through an existing pipeline to the Shetland Gas Plant, then piped to the Scottish mainland at St Fergus near Peterhead for entry into the national network.
The use of existing facilities will help lessen operational emissions, added the company.
Victory’s peak production is projected at roughly 150 million standard cubic feet per day (mscf/d), which equates to roughly 25,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day at full capacity.
Shell says this amount is sufficient to heat around 900,000 homes for a year.
The majority of the field’s recoverable gas is expected to be extracted by the end of this decade.
UK regulator the North Sea Transition Authority has reported a 10% decline in gas production in 2024 and that 61% of the gas supply in the UK was imported last year.
Victory is expected to help reduce reliance on overseas imports as older fields decline.
Shell UK Upstream senior vice-president Simon Roddy said: “Gas fields like Victory play a crucial role in the UK’s energy security, and the country will rely on them for decades to come. They provide an essential fuel we need now, and act as a partner to intermittent renewables as we move through the energy transition.
“By developing fields like Victory next to existing infrastructure, we are making sure our production in the UK North Sea remains cost competitive and reduces operational emissions.”
Shell confirmed a final investment decision for Victory in January 2024.
Responsibility for the asset will transfer to a new independent joint venture, Adura, jointly owned 50:50 by Shell and Equinor.
Work is ongoing to secure regulatory approvals for the formation of Adura, which are expected by the end of this year.
Victory plays a key role in supporting Shell’s commitment to its Capital Market Day 2025. The goal is to bring upstream and integrated gas projects online between 2025 and 2030, achieving a combined peak production exceeding one million barrels of oil equivalent per day.
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