Semisub concept frontrunner for Kristin

July 20, 2000
Norway's Statoil this week said it had chosen a semisubmersible production platform as its �principal option� to develop the Kristin gas-condensate field in the Haltenbanken area of the Norwegian Sea. The field partners nonetheless plan to continue evaluating alternative approaches for the discovery, which is part of the four-field Haltenbanken South complex.


Norway's Statoil AS this week said it had chosen a semisubmersible production platform as its �principal option� to develop the Kristin gas-condensate field in the Haltenbanken area of the Norwegian Sea. The field partners nonetheless plan to continue evaluating alternative approaches for the discovery, which is part of the four-field Haltenbanken South complex.

A finalized plan for developing and operating Kristin is scheduled to be handed in to authorities by next May. The first contracts could be awarded at the end of 2001, according to Statoil, and production could begin as early as autumn 2005. Statoil estimates the cost of developing the field at 12-14 billion kroner.

Under the oil company�s preferred plan, Kristin gas would be partially processed on the semisubmersible before being piped to the group's K�t� treatment complex north of Stavanger through the new 719 km �gard trunkline. Unstabilized condensate would be transferred to Statoil's nearby �gard A oil production ship for processing and transport.

Statoil estimates Kristin to contain some 40 billion cu m of gas and 250 million bbl of condensate..

"Substantial work remains to be done on developing the solution, securing good project economics, and enhancing the accuracy of investment estimates," said project manager for Haltenbanken South Lars R�ssland, adding that a sales solution for the Kristin gas must be found before the field can be developed.

Recoverable reserves in the four Haltenbanken South fields�Kristin, Lavrans, Erlend, and Ragnfrid�are estimated at 140 billion cu m of gas and 440 million bbl of oil and condensate. Production from Kristin and Lavrans fields is expected to begin in 2005.

Statoil's interest in the associated licenses varies between 25% and 28%, while the State's Direct Financial Interest (SDFI) holds 25-45%; other partners are Norsk Hydro AS, Agip SPA, TotalFinaElf SA, and ExxonMobil Corp.