When constructed in Loch Kishorn, Scotland in 1978 the 600,000 tonne platform was the world's largest man-made movable object[1] before being towed to its current position and sunk to the sea floor.
[2] The Ninian field lies in United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS) Blocks 3/2, 3/3, 3/7 and 3/8.
After the MOL pumps the fluids were co-mingled with oil from the Brent separators, and the Strathspey, Ninian Northern, Heather and Magnus platforms.
Gas from the Brent and Statfjord systems was compressed, dehydrated by counter-current contact with glycol.
[8] Ninian Central acted as an oil reception and export hub for a number of installations in the Northern North Sea.
[8] Well fluids were routed to one of two parallel horizontal Free Water Knock Out Vessels, operating at about 6.5 bar and 90 °C, where 3-phase (oil/gas/water) separation took place.
Condensed liquids were routed to the LPG metering system and export with the oil stream and dry gas was routed to the fuel gas system and any excess to by 8” pipeline to Ninian Central.
[9] Production from Ninian Northern started in August 1980, and reached a peak of 89,587 Barrels of Oil per Day in June 1981.
Produced water from the Separators was treated in hydrocyclones to remove oil prior to overboard disposal.
[8] Ninian Northern formerly had a water injection system to water-flood the reservoir; this was subsequently decommissioned.
[8] A Cessation of Production notice was approved by the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) in November 2016.