Offshore staff
LONDON – Installation has started of the subsea production pipeline for the Neptune Energy-operated Fenja field in the Norwegian Sea.
TechnipFMC is supplying and installing the 36-km (22.3-mi) electrically trace-heated (ETH) pipe-in-pipe, claimed to be the wold’s largest.
It will transport Fenja’s oil to the refurbished Njord A production platform, operated by Equinor.
Under the first phase construction TechnipFMC’s Deep Energy vessel installed and tested a 9-km (5.6-mi) section, 120 km (74.6 mi) north of Kristiansund in a water depth of around 320 m (1,050 ft).
According to Neptune, the ETH pipeline was developed and qualified under a collaboration with the contractor.
Due to the oil’s high wax content the contents of the pipeline must be warmed to more than 28°C (82°F) before starting flow following a shutdown. In normal production mode, the temperature in the pipeline is much higher.
Ståle Ryggvik, TechnipFMC’s project director, said the technology could help unlock other projects with difficult reservoir properties.
Fenja comprises two discoveries, Pil and Bue: Pil is currently being developed, while an appraisal well should follow soon on Bue. Neptune estimates total 2P reserves within Fenja at 97 MMboe, and anticipates first oil in 2022.
Development involves construction and installation of two subsea templates, connecting three oil producer wells, two water injectors and one gas injector.
Toward the end of field life, the gas injector will be converted to a gas producer.
09/02/2020
