StatoilHydro maintenance to cut Norwegian Sea production

April 14, 2008
StatoilHydro will shut down the Norne FPSO vessel in the Norwegian Sea and 25 platforms for maintenance during 2008, resulting in a total production shortfall of 10.4 million boe.

Uchenna Izundu
International Editor

LONDON, Apr. 14 -- StatoilHydro will shut down the Norne floating production, storage, and offloading vessel in the Norwegian Sea and 25 platforms for maintenance during 2008, resulting in a total production shortfall of 10.4 million boe.

For the first time, the company will replace a swivel on the Norne ship while offshore to help boost production capacity; usually this has been done on vessels in dry dock. The swivel will help Norne receive gas and condensate from Alve field, which will start production by yearend.

During the 1½-month Norne turnaround, StatoilHydro also will install a high-voltage swivel to prevent hydrate formation in the Alve pipeline and enable future installation of subsea pumps.

"Considerable maintenance work and modifications will be performed on the Statfjord C and Snorre A platforms as part of the Statfjord 'late life' and Snorre redevelopment projects," StatoilHydro said. The company also will conduct capacity upgrading work on the Kvitebjorn and Kristin platforms.

StatoilHydro will spend 270,000 man-hr to carry out the 26 offshore turnarounds across platforms and facilities in the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea. These include Statfjord C; Snorre B; Gullfaks A; Gullfaks B; Brage; Visund; Njord; Melkoya LNG; Norne; Troll B; Troll C; Huldra; Snorre A; Troll A; Kvitebjorn; Heimdal; Vale; Vilje; Sleipner A; Sleipner B & T; Glitne; Asgard B; Kristin; and Mongstad.

Contact Uchenna Izundu at [email protected].