Statoil lets contracts on two more fast-track projects

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Nov. 12 -- Statoil let a $90 million contract to Subsea 7 Ltd. for the engineering, procurement, construction, and installation of pipelines and control cables for connecting the PanPandora and Katla fast-track developments in the North Sea to existing production installations.

The contracts also cover installation of the subsea production system.

“The purpose of fast-track developments is to realize small finds that would generally not be profitable,” said Per Haaland, Statoil's head of the portfolio of fast-track developments on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

By rationalizing the use of time and resources, improving cooperation, and adopting standardized equipment, Statoil's fast-track projects aim to reduce the normal time for simple developments on the Norwegian continental shelf to about 2½ years from the normal 5 years, the company said.

PanPandora is just south of Visund field and will tie back to the Gullfaks C platform. Statoil estimates that the field contains about 64 million boe (one-third oil and two-thirds gas).

The development includes one subsea template and three production wells.

Last June, Statoil awarded FMC Technologies Inc. a $70 million contract for the manufacture of four subsea production trees, wellheads, choke modules, and subsea control modules for PanPandora. FMC will also supply one manifold structure and associated tools and control systems for the field

PanPandora is in about 950 ft of water.

Katla will tie back to the Oseberg South platform, which is 11 km to the northeast. Statoil estimates that the field contains 40 million boe, which is 60% oil.

The development includes one subsea template with two production wells and two injection wells.

Last September, Statoil awarded a $75 million contract to FMC Technologies for the manufacture of three subsea trees, one manifold, and associated subsea and topside control systems for Katla.

Katla is in about 310 ft of water.

Statoil has scheduled the field installation and laying of the pipeline for the first half of 2012 and expects production from both fields to start in late 2012.

PanPandora and Katla along with Gygrid and Vigdis North-East are the four fields in Statoil's first wave of fast-track projects. Statoil ordered components for the Gygrid tie back to the Njord semisubmersible in October (OGJonline, Oct. 14, 2010).

Statoil's second wave of fast-track projects include Fossekall-Dompap and Vilje South.