Aker BP outlines plans for expanded North Sea Valhall area development

Offshore staff

FORNEBU, Norway — Aker BP has submitted a revised plan for development and operations (PDO) for the Valhall Field and a PDO for the satellite Fenris Field to the Norwegian authorities.

Both fields are in the southern North Sea.

The company and its partners propose a new 24-slot, centrally located production and wellhead platform (PWP) bridge-linked to the Valhall central complex, and an eight-slot, unmanned installation (UI) at Fenris (formerly known as King Lear).

Aker BP estimates recoverable resources to be extracted from Fenris at 160 MMboe, with a further 70 MMboe at Valhall. Development plans call for 15 wells at Valhall PWP and four at Fenris, with production starting during the second quarter and third quarter in 2027, respectively.

The project will involve upgrades at the Valhall Field center to ensure continued operation when parts of the current infrastructure are phased out in 2028, followed by production of the remaining Valhall reserves (135 MMboe to 140 MMboe) from 2029 onward.

Increased gas export

In addition, the development will more than double gas processing capacity at Valhall, so it can serve as a hub for potential new gas discoveries in the area. And production from Fenris also will increase gas exports from Valhall through the North Sea Norpipe pipeline to markets in Europe.

Both new projects will receive electricity from the field center’s existing power from shore system.

Aker BP estimates total investments at NOK50 billion (US$5.06 billion).

Multiple contracts awarded

For the execute stage, the company will implement its alliance model. Those in line for contracts include ABB and Aker Solutions for the PWP and Fenris topside and jacket fabrication, with the scope organized and executed through the Fixed Facilities Alliance.

The alliance will have EPC and offshore hookup responsibility for both the 15,500-t Valhall PWP facility (with a 9,500-t steel jacket substructure and 1,100-t bridge), and the 2,600-t Fenris unmanned wellhead platform and its 2,900-t steel jacket.

Fabrication of the Valhall PWP topside and jacket should begin late in 2023, with the jacket to be delivered in 2025 and the topsides in 2026.

For Fenris, construction should start next spring, followed by delivery of the jacket in 2024 and the topsides in 2026.

Aker Solutions’ yard in Stord will assemble the PWP, supported by deliveries from Sandnessjøen and subcontractors Rosenberg Worley in Stavanger and AS Nymo in Arendal. Aker Solutions’ Verdal yard will build the entire Fenris platform.

As for the subsea scope, Aker Solutions’ site in Moss, Norway, will manufacture three umbilicals with a total length of about 50 km (under the alliance model). The company also will perform modifications to the Valhall Field center for the tie-ins of the two new platforms to facilities such as process, power and utilities (executed via the Modification Alliance between Aker Solutions and Aker BP).

Prefabrication work at the company’s Egersund yard should start in fourth-quarter 2023, followed by a longer offshore phase including various planned turnarounds in the next few years.

Subsea7 in Norway will be responsible for the subsea umbilical riser flowlines (SURF) and Aker Solutions for the subsea production systems, both organized and executed through the Subsea Alliance.

Project management and engineering for the tieback work and re-routing of existing gas export and gas-lift pipelines to the new PWP will be managed from Subsea7’s offices in Stavanger and Aberdeen.

The company’s spoolbase in Vigra, Norway, will fabricate the pipelines while its site in Wester, northern Scotland, will manufacture the bundle. Offshore operations are scheduled for 2024, 2026 and 2027.

In addition, Aker BP has entered a contract with Jacktel for the four-legged self-elevating accommodation unit Haven in 2026-2027.

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