The North Sea's Untapped Gas Problem Is Not Resources — It's Connection. A Technical Note with an illustrative pilot scenario and modular transfer concept.

This technical note outlines a structural mismatch in the Southern North Sea: the coexistence of numerous undeveloped small offshore gas fields and extensive existing pipeline infrastructure without direct connection. While pipelines and LNG systems are effective at scale, they are often not economically viable for smaller, distributed resources. As a result, many offshore gas accumulations remain physically and commercially inaccessible despite their proximity to existing infrastructure. The note reframes the problem as one of short-distance integration rather than long-distance transport. It presents a practical, infrastructure-light approach based on modular, vessel-based systems enabling short-cycle gas transfer between offshore production nodes and existing pipeline entry points. An illustrative North Sea pilot scenario is included to demonstrate how such a system could operate under realistic conditions. The concept is supported by a German patent application (DE 10 2025 002 011.2).