Statoil expects to complete Åsgard welds repairs by next summer

By the OGJ Online Staff

LONDON, Oct. 29 -- Statoil AS plans to have Åsgard gas field in the Norwegian Sea back in production by next summer, following an extensive program to repair faults discovered in 72 flowline welds.

Roughly half the faulty welds have been treated. Repair work is continuing (OGJ Online, Oct. 12, 2001).

The affected welds were discovered in the pipes that connect the Midgard and Smørbukk reservoirs to the Åsgard B gas platform when the Smørbukk structure was being prepared for production last October. Weaknesses were discovered in 72 pipe connections on the seabed, linking Midgard and Smørbukk with the production installations. No similar faults have been found on the pipes running to the Åsgard A production ship.

While the Åsgard B gas platform is shut down, all its critical systems were being verified. This has identified a need to upgrade parts of the gas export system affected by vibration problems. Work on the gas transport system is being implemented in two stages.

The concluding phase will be carried out when flowlines to the Midgard structure are repaired in May-June 2002. That means Åsgard B will gradually come back on stream early next year.

The repair program will cost 260 million kroner. Statoil is seeking insurance reimbursement. Halliburton Co. is conducting the work with remote-controlled subsea equipment.

Repairs on the field will postpone oil and condensate production of 11,800 b/d in 2001, however, gas customers in Europe have been receiving replacement supplies from other Norwegian fields while Åsgard B is shut down. The Åsgard production target is 27 MMcfd and it was due to come into production in October.

Statoil is operator with a 13.55% interest. Partners are the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate with 49.95 %, Norsk Hydro AS 9.6 %, Norsk Agip AS 7.9 %, TotalFinaElf 7.65 %, ExxonMobil Corp. 7.35 %, and Fortum Corp. 7 %.