Statoil begins production via new subsea template

Oct. 19, 2006
Statoil ASA on Oct. 18 began production from one of the two wells tied in to the subsea K Template recently installed in Norne oil field in the Norwegian Sea.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Oct. 19 -- Statoil ASA on Oct. 18 began production from one of the two wells tied in to the subsea K Template recently installed in Norne oil field in the Norwegian Sea.

The four-slot seabed K template is a typical subsea satellite development tied in to existing infrastructure (OGJ, July 18, 2005, p. 42).

Terje Overvik, executive vice-president for exploration and production Norway, said production from the new subsea template will prolong the field's life and help Statoil achieve its production target of 1 million boe/d until 2015 from the Norwegian continental shelf.

With the 750 million kroner investment in the Norne improved recovery project, which includes installation of the K template and the drilling and completion of two wells, Statoil expects to recover 10 million bbl of oil.

Production from the other well, which is to be commissioned by Transocean Inc.'s Transocean Arctic
semisubmersible drilling rig in November, is expected to begin at the end of the same month.

The field's development solution allows for the drilling of yet two more wells from the K template.