Aker BP planning further platform for North Sea Valhall complex

Offshore staff

LYSAKER, Norway – Aker BP expects to take a concept select decision this summer on the Valhall NCP (New Central Platform) project in the southern Norwegian North Sea.

This will provide additional well slots for further development of the Valhall Area.

Later in the current quarter the jackup Maersk Reacher will head to the Valhall field to support and accelerate stimulation and intervention activity, allowing more wells to achieve their full production potential.

In the northern Norwegian North Sea, Aker BP and its partners are close to a final investment decision on the Frosk development as a tie-in to the Alvheim facilities. The Frosk test producer, however, has been shut in pending a well intervention in September.

Planning continues for the North of Alvheim and Krafla-Askja (NOAKA) development, the concept including a fixed platform at the Frigg Gamma Delta fields, operated by the company.

This facility will serve as an area hub, combining processing, drilling, and living quarters. In June, Aker BP awarded Allseas a FEED contract with the option for installation of the platform topsides.

NOAKA’s oil will be exported via the Oseberg transport system, with the gas sent through Statpipe.

Also, as part of the project, the Frøy field will be re-developed with a normally unmanned installation, a copy of the new Valhall Flank West and Hod B platforms.

Aker BP plans subsea production systems with a dual-drilling layout for the Fulla, Langfjellet and Rind fields, all tied back to the area hub at Frigg Gamma Delta, and with flexibility for potential tie-ins of new discoveries.

One of these could be Liatårnet, where the semisub Deepsea Nordkapp is due to drill an appraisal well this summer, the aims being to gather data on reservoir properties and oil quality to assist evaluation of commerciality.

Equinor, as operator of the Krafla discovery, is collaborating with Aker BP to optimize the total area development concept. Krafla will be tied back to the area hub at Frigg Gamma Delta for oil and produced water processing.

A final investment decision should follow in late 2022.

In the southern Norwegian North Sea, Aker BP has entered an agreement with DNO Norge to diversify interests in various exploration targets.

Pending approvals, the company will reduce its interest in Tanumåsen in PL 1085 by 25% and in Mugnetind in PL 906 by 10%, while raising its stake in Gomez in PL 006C by 20%: Gomez is due to be drilled this summer.

Aker BP is a partner in the Johan Sverdrup field, where current studies suggest the full-field processing capacity can be increased to 755,000 b/d, when Phase 2 finishes in late 2022.

The new Phase 2 riser platform module, built by Aker Solutions at Stord, is due to be installed on the platform in July. The five new subsea templates are in place and installation has finished of the power cable from shore.

The estimated break-even price for the full field has now come down from below $20/bbl to below $15/bbl.

Aker BP expects to start production from the Ærfugl Phase 2 project in the Norwegian Sea, a subsea tieback to the Skarv FPSO, during the fall.

Work has also continued on the Skarv satellites project, with the Ørn gas discovery set to be produced through the FPSO. Aker BP will assume operatorship from Equinor.

Finally, the company has made a small gas discovery in the eastern Barents Sea. The Deepsea Nordkapp drilled well 7234/6-1 on PL 858, 160 km (99.4 mi) south of the 7435/12-1 (Korpfjell) gas discovery and 290 km (180 mi) northeast of Vardø.

The well, drilled in 247 m (810 ft) of water, encountered a 57-m (187-ft) gas column in the Ørn formation, with poor to moderate reservoir quality. According to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, the gas has a high CO₂ content.

Preliminary estimates suggest 1.6-2.1 MMcmoe recoverable.

The rig will next drill pilot holes for Aker BP in PL 146 in the North Sea.

07/20/2021