By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Nov. 14 -- Statoil ASA has begun oil production from Urd field in the Norne area of the Norwegian Sea.
The 3.6 billion kroner Urd development consists of the Staer and Svale satellites. The well stream from the two satellites flows through a single, electrically heated pipeline to the Norne production ship for processing and loading into shuttle tankers with other oil from Norne. Statoil is expected to ramp up production to 70,000 b/d.
Staer is 5 km north of the main field and has been developed with a single seabed template tied back to the Norne production ship. Svale lies 10 km north of Norne and is being produced through two subsea templates, also tied back to the vessel.
A total of five oil production wells and three water-injection wells will be drilled in Urd. Statoil plans to use gas lift for the production wells. Gas from the Norne ship will be injected in the wells to reduce well stream density and increase production.
The wells are equipped with technology which can isolate reservoir zones to optimize output, Statoil said.
Urd contains recoverable reserves of 70 million bbl of oil and a small amount of gas, which will be exported with Norne gas output via a tie-in to the Aasgard Transport Pipeline and processed at Karsto north of Stavanger.
Statoil has a 50% interest in the development. Its partners are Petoro AS 25%, Norsk Hydro AS 13.5%, and Eni SPA 11.5%.