Depressurization postponed at Statfjord field

June 28, 2006
Statoil ASA and partners have decided to optimize the late-life development project of giant Statfjord oil and natural gas field in the Norwegian North Sea by postponing the depressurization of the Brent reservoir by a year, from 2007 to 2008.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, June 28 -- Statoil ASA and partners have decided to optimize the late-life development project of giant Statfjord oil and natural gas field in the Norwegian North Sea by postponing the depressurization of the Brent reservoir by a year, from 2007 to 2008.

Statoil says new information about the reservoir development warrants further optimization of oil production from the reservoir.

The Statfjord late-life development plan, approved by the Norwegian parliament last year, would allow for recovery of gas with associated oil instead of production of oil with associated gas (OGJ Online, Feb. 28, 2005).

By postponing depressurization, Statoil said the field's oil production will increase by more than 7 million bbl, while gas production from the reservoir will be somewhat delayed. The delayed gas output will be partly offset by increased gas production from the Statfjord reservoir.

Thus, gas exports to the UK in 2007 will remain the same as gas production and depressurization of the Statfjord reservoir will be maintained.