Statoil begins production from Visund North field

Nov. 6, 2013
Statoil ASA has started production from the Visund North oil and gas field in the North Sea. The project is the sixth of the 12 fast-track projects that Statoil has brought on production.

Statoil ASA has started production from the Visund North oil and gas field in the North Sea. The project is the sixth of the 12 fast-track projects that Statoil has brought on production.

The scheduled startup date was 3-4 weeks earlier than the actual start of production, but completion of the first well and a production shutdown at the Visund A platform contributed to delays, Statoil said. The company invested 3.3 billion kroner ($550 million) in development of the field, which contains 29 million boe in total recoverable reserves. Statoil originally estimated a cost of 3.1 billion kroner (OGJ Online, Dec. 5, 2011).

Statoil used many of the same field development techniques at Visund North that have already been deployed at its Visund South field, the first development in the company’s fast-track portfolio (OGJ Online, Nov. 27, 2012). Statoil developed Visund North using a standard, 4-well subsea template. Oil is transported in a pipeline to the Visund A platform for processing via a pipeline manifold and a subsea safety integrity valve under the platform.

Statoil added that resources in the northern Visund area have been proved with January’s Rhea discovery that was drilled by an exploration pilot from one of the Visund North wells.

The five fast-track field developments in production along with Visund North are Skuld, Stjerne, Vigdis Northeast, Hyme, and Visund South. The seven remaining developments in the portfolio are Vilje South, Fram H-North, Svalin C, Gullfaks South oil, Oseberg Delta 2, and Gullfaks Rimfaksdalen. These 12 developments are scheduled to produce 200,000 boe/d by yearend 2014, with Statoil receiving a 100,000 boe/d share.