1962/63 2D seismic survey acquired by Shell/Esso/BP. BP backs out later from a joint venture when it became clear that no pre-emptive rights would be accepted by the UK Government. 1964 Agreement with Shell and Esso to exploit UK Continental Shelf Gas Reserves (1/1/1964). First London office in Shell Centre with 3 employees (George Williams, MD; June Webster, Secretary; John Tomlinson, Exploration Manager). September 75 licence blocks granted to Shell/Esso in the UK Government's first ever allocation of petroleum production licences. 1965 January Southern operations base set up in Lowestoft, total Expro staff increased to 12. Further offices set up in Hartlepool and Aberdeen (above Church of Scotland bookshop in Union Street). April Shell Expro's first exploration well spudded 140 miles off Sunderland in 75 feet of water, with "Mr. Cap" rig. At costs of £766,000 the well was dry and the rig was damaged whilst jacking down. May First lease of Torry Quay in Aberdeen. November Shell/Esso granted 14 new licences in second round of licensing. 1966 April Leman field discovered in 120 feet of water. June Indefatigable field discovered in 99 feet of water. 1967 September Shell Expro's first semi-submersible rig, Staflo, began drilling in Northern waters off Aberdeen. Northern Operations base set up in Aberdeen. Leman AD and AP installed in June/August and development drilling started straight afterwards. 1968 August First production started from the Leman gas field. Leman Alpha to Bacton pipeline operational. Start up of Bacton gas plant. 1969 May South East Indefatigable field (SEAN) discovered in 100 feet of water. September Announcement of third round of UK licensing. 1970 June Leman BT terminal platform installed. November First production from Leman B. Eleven licences awarded to Shell/Esso. 1971 January Discovery of Auk oil field announced. August Fourth round sealed cash bids are submitted. Expro bids £21 million for Cormorant block 211/21. September First production from the Indefatigable gas field from Inde J. December Jointly owned Shell/Esso and Amoco pipeline from Amoco BT to Bacton operational. Jointly owned Shell/Esso and Amoco pipeline from Indefatigable IT to Amoco BT operational. 1972 February Leman C on stream. March In the final stage of the UK fourth round licensing, Shell/Esso allocated a further 11 blocks in the North Sea. August Discovery of the Brent field announced. September Discovery of the Cormorant Field (Southern area) announced. Expro re-organisation: drilling staff moves to Aberdeen. Offices in London, Lowestoft, and Aberdeen now equal in size with 267, 222, and 228 employees. 1973 March Indefatigable K on stream. April Tullos Phase 1 opened. June Discovery of the Dunlin field announced. November Jointly owned Shell/Esso and Amoco pipeline from Leman BT to Bacton operational. 1974 May Single Buoy Mooring system, ELSBM, installed in the Auk field. Tullos Phase 2 opened. 50 new houses for International staff on order. New Torry site approved. July Auk jacket successfully installed. Discovery of the North Cormorant field announced. August Transport agreement with Hutton and Thistle fields signed, this secures the viability of the Brent oil pipeline. Production from Leman D. Brent development costs increase from £900 Million (11/74) to £1,300 Million (5/75) with about 50% of the increases related to inflation. 1975 January Petroleum Revenue Tax introduced. February Compression platform Leman AK installed. Compression platform Leman BK installed. April Discovery of the Tern field announced. August Brent Flare installed. Brent B platform installed. December Auk A production began. 1976 The Shell Group issue the Statement of General Business Principles, which is universally adopted by all Shell companies. February First oil from the Auk field arrived at Teesport refinery. May Brent A jacket installed. Work started on the FLAGS gas line to St Fergus, Scotland. Discovery of the Eider field announced. June Spar installed in the Brent field. July Brent D platform installed. August Fifth round of licensing announced. November Brent field production began from Brent B (into storage). December First tanker loaded crude at Brent Spar.
1977 May Construction on St Fergus Gas Plant started. June Dunlin A platform installed. Brent B suspends production for one year because of Government restrictions to flaring. July Discovery of the Fulmar field announced. Brent Air Traffic Control Centre set up. By Oct 1980 it had logged the first 500,000 flights making it the second busiest in the UK after Heathrow. November Brent D production began. Tullos Phase 3 opened, increasing office space from 240 to 400 (with additional 100 in the Temp block). 1978 May Cormorant A platform installed. June Brent A production started. Brent C platform installed. FLAGS pipeline complete. July Fulmar template installed and production drilling begun. August Dunlin begins production (into storage). October Indefatigable L onstream. November Sullom Voe oil terminal onstream. Brent System pipeline onstream. First Dunlin oil flowed into Sullom Voe via the Brent System pipeline. 1979 March Sixth round of licensing allocations. Western Leg gas line between Cormorant A and Brent A platforms completed. July Fulmar wellhead jacket installed. September Tullos Phase IV opened by Margaret Thatcher, office space now 850. October Construction at Mossmorran and Braefoot Bay November Brent oil pumped to Sullom Voe via Cormorant A. December Cormorant A production started. Fabrication of MSV Stadive begun. 1980 June Fulmar A jacket installed. 1981 January Production commenced from Cormorant South. March Seventh round licensing Shell/Esso awarded two blocks. Shell/Esso/BNOC awarded two blocks. May SALM (single anchor leg mooring) installed in the Fulmar field. Royal opening of Sullom Voe Terminal. June Brent C production start-up. July FSU (floating storage unit) connected to the SALM in the Fulmar field. December Western Leg pipeline in operation. 1982 January Leman E jacket installed. February Production drilling started on Leman E. First oil production Fulmar wellhead jacket. First oil production North Cormorant. April First offtake of crude from Fulmar FSU. Loadout and official launch of Underwater Manifold Centre (UMC). May St Fergus Gas Plant onstream. FLAGS pipeline opened. First gas from Brent delivered to St Fergus. Installation of Underwater Manifold Centre (UMC) on Central Cormorant. First oil from main platform Fulmar A. August Module 2 commissioned, St Fergus. October Royal opening of St Fergus Gas Plant. December MSV Stadive delivered after successful trials. 1983 February Shell Esso awarded two blocks in the eighth licensing round. May First production from the UMC received at Cormorant A. Shell/Esso awarded seven more blocks in the eigth licensing round. August Leman E platform onstream. September The final section of the NGL pipeline linking St Fergus to Mossmorran was installed. December MSV Stadive completed the first season of operations in the Northern North Sea. 1984 Award winning Phase V building opened, increasing office space to 1700. May NGL pipeline from St Fergus to Mossmorran completed. One billionth barrel of crude oil was loaded from Sullom Voe oil terminal. July The first section of the subsea pipeline from Fulmar to St Fergus was completed. The first NGLs were received at Mossmorran. September The first LPG was exported from Mossmorran. November Official opening of the Mossmorran Fractionation plant and Braefoot Bay Marine Terminal. December Sean South and North wellhead jackets were installed. 1985 Target Zero Safety campaign launched. April Indefatigable M platform installed. May Sean PP jacket installed. June Shell/Esso awarded eight blocks in the ninth licensing round. July Sour gas module installed on the Fulmar A platform. October First production from the Indefatigable M. December Leman F and G jackets installed. Sean PP and PD topsides installed. 1986 Low oil price results in significant reduction in programme activities. March Shell awarded interests in seven licences in the first UK onshore licensing round. May First gas from Fulmar to St Fergus produced. June Royal opening of the Mossmorran Fife Ethylene Plant (FEP). October Sean Gas Field on stream. December Indefatigable N jacket and topsides installed. 1987 Shell Expro Activity Review and Challenge (SEARCH) improvement project launched in response to 1986 low oil price. February Leman F and G topsides installed. March Brent produced its one billionth barrel of oil. September Development of the Kittiwake field announced. First gas from Leman F and G to Bacton. 1988 Explosion on Occidental platform Piper Alpha rocked the whole industry and the subsequent inquiry led by Lord Cullen resulted in fundamental changes to the North Sea regulatory framework. April Eider jacket installed. May Tern jacket installed. June Eider and Tern topsides installed. November First oil from Eider. December World drilling record achieved on Cormorant A. Fulmar FSU and SALM broke loose. 1989 June First oil from Tern July Development of the Gannet cluster announced. August Clipper PW jacket and topsides installed October Fulmar FSU and SALM reinstated. 1990 6000 directly employed staff. April Barque PB and Clipper PT platforms installed in the Sole Pit field. May Kittiwake jacket and topsides installed. July Kittiwake Loading Bouy installed. Osprey module installed on Dunlin A. September First oil from Kittiwake. October First gas from Sole Pit. 1991 Turnaround Strategy Improvment process launched with a target of improving field life of existing assets by reducing operating costs by 30% by end 1993. January First oil from Osprey subsea field into Dunlin platform. June Gannet A jacket installed. July Development of the Nelson field announced. 1992 April Gannet integrated deck installed. November Development of Galleon gas field announced. First oil from Gannet. 1993 Long term partnering with contractors commenced with the award of Maintenance and Modifications Services Contractor (MMSC) contracts. April £1.3 billion Brent redevelopment project announced. Nelson jacket installed. June Galleon jacket installed. August Nelson integrated deck installed. 1994 February Design contract awarded for Floating Production Storage and Offtake (FPSO) facility for the potential development of a number of discoveries in the Central North Sea. April The Vinga single turret loading (STL) system replaces the floating storage unit (FSU) at Fulmar. July Brent Bravo shuts down for re-development. August Development of Pelican field announced. September Development af East Sean announced. October First gas production from Galleon. December Development of Schooner gas field announced. 1995 4000 directly employed staff. Cost Review in Expro Study Team (CREST) improvement project identified a £760 million opportunity gap over 5 years and recommended a fundamentally different business model for managing Shell Expro. February Development of Teal, Teal South and Guillemot A announced, using FPSO, Anasuria. Abandonment plans for deep water disposal of Brent Spar announced. June Plans for disposal of Brent Spar in deep water halted. July Permission granted to moor Brent Spar in Norwegian Fjord while new disposal options are considered. August Brent Bravo resumes production after long term shutdown for re-development. 1996 Focus on Reputation Management as a key management process. January Development of the Heron Egret and Skua fields (Heron Cluster) announced as part of the Eastern Trough Area Project (ETAP) operated by BP. Pelican production begins into Cormorant A. April Brent C begins shutdown for redevelopment. July Development of Curlew field announced. August List of 30 schemes announced for Brent Spar disposal. September Gannet A is one of the first fields to be developed using horizontal well technology and tender assisted drilling. October First oil produced from Anasuria FPSO. Development of Mallard field announced. Brent C resumes production after re-development. Development of Kingfisher field announced. Development of Shearwater field announced. November First seminar in the Brent Spar dialogue process held in London. 1997 Industry Step Change in Safety programme launched to make a 50% improvement in industry wide safety performance. Brent Re-development project completed. 1998 Employee Value Proposition (EVP) work started to ensure that Shell Expro continues to be a Great Place to Work. 1999 Shell Expro Environmental Management System independently certified to ISO 14001 International Standard. Brent Spar decommissioned. Shell Mex House sold, New Business Development Team moved to Aberdeen. 2000 2600 directly employed staff. Shearwater platform commissioned. Blyth Offshore Wind Farm commissioned. 2001 Accountability for Safety campaign launched. First gas from Brigantine field.
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