By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Feb. 28 -- Statoil ASA and partners have received approval from the Norwegian government for late-life development of Statfjord oil field and the associated Tampen Link gas pipeline in the Norwegian North Sea.
The 16-billion kroner project will keep the field on stream until 2020.
Statoil, the operator, will convert installations on the field to recover gas with associated oil instead of producing oil with associated gas. The procedure will change the drainage strategy to low-pressure production to recover the remaining gas.
Statfjord field has produced more than 4 billion bbl of oil in 25 years. The late-life development will raise recovery factors to 70% the original oil in place and 75% of the gas, adding recoverable volumes of 32 billion cm of gas, 25 million bbl of oil, and 60 million bbl of condensate.
Work on the field, including a pressure blowdown, is scheduled to begin in the second half of this year and will take about 4 years, while full production is maintained.
The Tampen Link will tie Statfjord into the existing Flags gas transport system on the UK continental shelf. Pipelaying is planned for the second half of 2006 and consequent gas exports for the second half of 2007.
Statoil holds a majority interest in Statfjord field and Tampen Link.
