Replacement platform possible at Njord offshore Norway

Offshore staff

ABERDEEN, UK – Statoil and its partners are considering various options for long-term development of the Njord area in the Norwegian Sea.

The semisubmersibleNjord drilling and production platform remains shut due to concerns over the platform’s structural integrity. However, work has started on a project to reinforce the deck structure: this is expected to be completed next spring, followed by a resumption of operations.

According to partner Faroe Petroleum, there are substantial oil and gas resources both in theNjord field and surrounding catchment area. These could be accessed by further infill drilling in the Njord field, and development of the North West Flank gas and condensate accumulations, and the recent Snilehorn oil discovery.

Further tie-ins could result from exploration drilling in the coming years and nearby third-party discoveries in the catchment area. Potentially, these factors could extend the life of the facilities by 20 years.
Options under review include:

• Continuing production through Njord A following deck reinforcement project and identifying alternative means of continuing development drilling on the Njord field
• Bringing the platform to shore at some point for further strengthening of the structure, or replacing the hull
• Building and installing a new Njord A platform or FPSO

Faroe expects the evaluation work to continue throughout 2014.

11/21/2013