Equinor ASA started production from Askeladd Vest (West) subsea field in the Barents Sea earlier this month. Gas from the field contributes supply to the Hammerfest LNG (HLNG) plant at Melkøya Island in northern Norway.
At a cost of just over NOK 3 billion, the Askeladd Vest project is part of the original plan for multi-phased development and operation of Snøhvit field and the infrastructure around HLNG. Askeladd Vest consists of two wells in a new well template tied back to Askeladd field through a pipeline and an umbilical, which came onstream in 2022.
Recoverable volumes from Askeladd Vest total about 15 billion cu m (bcm) of gas.
The well stream from Snøhvit field is transported via a 143-km pipeline for processing to the onshore Hammerfest LNG plant, which produces 6.5 billion cu m/year of gas, about 5% of Norway’s total gas exports, and about 2% of the EU's gas needs, the operator said.
“Askeladd Vest is an important step in the development of the Snøhvit field and will help maintain full production at Hammerfest LNG until onshore compression starts as part of the Snøhvit Future project in 2028,” said Grete B. Haaland, Equinor's senior vice-president for exploration and production, north.
The NOK 13.2-billion Snøhvit Future project includes onshore compression and electrification of HLNG.
Equinor is operator of the Snøhvit license with 36.79%. Partners are Petoro AS (30.00%), TotalEnergies EP Norge AS (18.40%), Neptune Energy Norge AS (12.00%), and Wintershall Dea Norge AS (2.81%).
