The governments of Norway and the U.K. have signed two pipeline treaties intended to improve cooperation in offshore projects that cross the median line between the two countries.
One is a new framework agreement designed to enable Norwegian and British operators to share infrastructure, and thus improve project economics, while the second is a long-awaited revision of the Frigg treaty.
The agreements were signed at the Offshore Northern Seas conference in Stavanger on Aug. 25 by Marit Arnstad, Norway's minister of petroleum and energy, and John Battle, the U.K. energy minister.
Treaties' details
The framework agreement sets out rules for pipeline connections between offshore installations in Norwegian and British waters.
It applies particularly to future projects, although none have so far been put forward by operators.
Battle said the real advantage of the framework agreement is its potential for opening up for development new marginal fields, a number of which have been found to straddle the Norway-U.K. offshore boundary.
The ministers also signed a revised Frigg pipeline treaty, after protracted haggling ended earlier this year. The deal will enable gas from new Norwegian fields to be delivered to Britain through the Frigg pipeline system.
For many years, the previous U.K. government stalled Norwegian efforts to expand the Frigg treaty to include gas deliveries from new fields.
"The revised Frigg treaty," said Battle, "will enable the continued use of the two Frigg pipelines beyond the life of the Frigg field, which has diminishing gas reserves.
"It will also improve the viability of marginal developments, in U.K. or Norwegian waters, which will be able to use the Frigg infrastructure in the future."
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