Statoil shuts in Aasgard production again

Jan. 16, 2006
Statoil ASA has shut in production of 45,000 b/d of condensate and 27.5 million cu m/day of gas from the Aasgard B platform in the Norwegian Sea after sparks and smoke were detected Jan. 15 in an exhaust system in the turbine of one of the export ducts.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Jan. 16 -- Statoil ASA has shut in production of 45,000 b/d of condensate and 27.5 million cu m/day of gas from the Aasgard B platform in the Norwegian Sea after sparks and smoke were detected Jan. 15 in an exhaust system in the turbine of one of the export ducts. An investigation is under way.

The Aasgard B shutdown comes just 3 months after a previous shut in of more than 80,000 b/d of condensate and 35 million cu m/day of gas due to a fire in the exhaust section in one of the main generators (OGJ Online, Oct. 25, 2005).

The current shutdown has halted condensate and gas exports from the Statoil-operated platform and Mikkel fields. Mikkel produces about 11,000 b/d of condensate and 4.5 million cu m/day of gas.

Production also has been stopped on Statoil's Kristin field, which produces 11 million cu m/day of gas and about 62,000 b/d of condensate.

Gas from Statoil's Heidrun field, which is producing about 1.5 million cu m/day, again will be reinjected while the platform remains shut down.

It is not yet clear when production can resume from Aasgard B.