Norwegian N. Sea developments slated

Den norske stats oljeselskap AS (Stat- oil) and Norsk Hydro AS have disclosed plans for Norwegian North Sea development projects. Statoil said exploratory drilling off Norway this year is thought to have added 400 million bbl of oil and 1.75 tcf of gas to Norway's reserves. Statoil's share of these amounts to 60 million bbl and 350 bcf, mainly found near North Sea producing fields.

Jan. 6, 1997

2 min read

Den norske stats oljeselskap AS (Stat- oil) and Norsk Hydro AS have disclosed plans for Norwegian North Sea development projects.

Statoil said exploratory drilling off Norway this year is thought to have added 400 million bbl of oil and 1.75 tcf of gas to Norway's reserves.

Statoil's share of these amounts to 60 million bbl and 350 bcf, mainly found near North Sea producing fields.

Tor Gunnar Gloppen, Statoil's license manager, said development plans will proceed in 1997 for at least two of these finds: the largest, a Block 33/9 discovery near Statfjord North, and a small strike near Yme field.

Gloppen said that while this year's batch of finds is small, "Our discoveries are positive because several of them can be developed quickly and cheaply with the aid of existing installations, making them very commercial."

Hydro plans

Norsk Hydro has submitted to Norway's Ministry of Industry and Energy a plan for development and operation of Oseberg South discovery, 13 km south of Oseberg field on Norwegian North Sea Block 30/9.

Oseberg South has estimated reserves of 340 million bbl of oil and 390 bcf of gas and lies in 100 m of water.

A 7.6 billion kroner ($1.2 billion) development will feature installation of a drilling, partial processing, and quarters platform in the field and a pipeline to take oil to Oseberg field center for further processing and export.

The platform will have capacity to process 95,000 b/d of oil.

Plans call for a waterflood and injection of associated gas to boost oil production. Eighteen producers and 12 water and gas injectors will be drilled, five ahead of platform installation.

Most development wells will be drilled from Oseberg South platform, and targets beyond the range of extended-reach wells will be developed as subsea satellites.

Also, four producers in the northern area of the field will be drilled from Oseberg field center. Oseberg South production from the field center is to begin in February 2000, while the new Oseberg South platform will be brought on stream in August that year.