By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Oct. 22 -- Statoil will develop Valemon gas and condensate field in the mature eastern Tampen area of the Norwegian North Sea with an unstaffed steel platform.
The company submitted the development plan to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy with first production targeted in 2014.
It estimates reserves at 26 billion cu m of gas and 31 million bbl of condensate.
The fixed platform will support drilling and separation of gas, water, and oil once production starts. The company said Valemon will produce gas at a plateau rate of 3 billion cu m/year. It didn’t report the number of wells to be drilled.
Gas will flow through an existing pipeline from the nearby Kvitebjorn platform to the Huldra pipeline and then to the Heimdal hub. Condensate will flow by pipeline to Kvitebjorn for stabilization and move from there to the 203,000-b/d Mongstad refinery near Bergen, about 160 km east of the field.
Oystein Michelsen, Statoil executive vice-president for exploration and production Norway, said Valemon gas flow will make use of spare capacity at Kvitebjorn and Heimdal.
“The Heimdal platform in particular depends on new gas volumes to extend its commercial life,” he said. “Valemon’s contribution will make it possible to exploit other gas reserves in the area.”
Statoil has signed a letter of intent with Heerema Vissingen for an engineering, procurement, and construction contract for the 9,200-tonne Valemon platform jacket. It signed a similar letter for transportation and installation of the jacket with Heerema Marine Contractors.
The 157-m tall jacket, planned for delivery in May 2012, will be installed in 135 m of water. It will have a footprint of 45 m by 45 m and a top measuring 26 m by 30 m.
Statoil said it will let contracts for platform topsides, pipelines, subsea umbilical, and marine operations in 2011-13.
Statoil is operator of Valemon field with a 64.275% interest. Other interests, conditional on government approval of the unitization agreement, are Petoro 30%, Enterprise Oil 3.225%, and Total 2.5%.
US Department of the Interior.
File photo from PDVSA..
