Statoil has let a contract to Aker Solutions for the upgrade of drilling facilities on its Snorre A platform in the Tampen area of the North Sea offshore Norway.
Statoil believes the Snorre A upgrade, designed to improve general environmental conditions and safety, will increase recovery by 67 million bbl of oil.
The company has been working to extend the oil field’s production life to 2040 (OGJ Online, Dec. 12, 2009). It estimates the field, which began production in 1992, holds 900 million boe of oil equivalent hydrocarbons.
Last year, according to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, Snorre produced 115,000 b/d of oil, 400 million standard cu m of natural gas, and 20,000 tonnes of NGL. The field is in 300-350 m of water.
Snorre A is a tension leg drilling, production, and quarters platform. The Snorre B platform, in the northern part of the field, is a semisubmersible.
Statoil is the Snorre operator with a 33.32% interest. Other interests are Petoro AS 30%, ExxonMobil Exploration & Production Norway AS 11.58%, Idemitsu Petroleum Norge AS 9.6%, RWE Dea Norge AS 8.28%, Total E&P Norge AS 6.18%, and Hess Norge AS 1.04%.
