Norway/NCS ///
The first cargo is expected to leave for customers in Asia this week, and contains 1 MMbbl of crude with a market value of around $60 million.
The portfolio will provide Neptune with material growth in contingent resources, an estimated 30 MMboe of 2P reserves and near-term production in core areas of the North Sea close to infrastructure.
Kongsberg Digital signed an agreement to digitalize the Nyhamna facility, a gas processing and export hub for Ormen Lange and other fields connected to the Polarled pipeline.
The head of Norway’s oil regulator, who bows out after 12 years of pushing companies to squeeze out every possible barrel from projects, said she’s leaving an industry in good health despite a growing debate over its future.
Equinor made a final decision to invest in floating wind turbines to power offshore oil platforms off Norway after the government agreed to subsidize a large part of the cost.
Discovered in 2010 in an area that had been disregarded by most explorers, the site started production on Saturday and is set to reach 440,000 bpd by next summer.
Global contractor Dolphin Drilling has secured further work for its Borgland Dolphin semi-submersible drilling rig to start in early 2020.
“It is very exciting to be a pioneer for this type of technology offshore. Enabling personnel to plan and perform operations from shore rather than being flown offshore, this pathbreaking technology will also reduce costs,“ says Olav A. Godø, operations manager, Njord.
“Valhall West Flank is an important measure for further exploitation of the resources in a mature field,” says Tove Francke, the NPD’s assistant director for development and operations, North Sea South.
Under the contract, BHGE and Ocean Installer will engineer, procure, construct and install 16 new subsea production systems, umbilicals, risers and flowlines to the Jotun A FPSO.
“Our objective is to have the strongest, most competitive Upstream portfolio in the industry,” said Neil Chapman, senior vice president of ExxonMobil. “We’re achieving that by adding the best set of projects we’ve had in many years and divesting assets that have lower long-term strategic value."
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate report states production in August was below forecast due to technical problems and maintenance work on some fields.
The contract saw Ashtead Technology provide its integrated Deflection Monitoring System (DMS) services and equipment to support the installation of eight Integrated Template Structures (ITS) in the fields located in the Northern Norwegian Sea.
The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted Equinor consent to use the facilities on the Tordis and Vigdis fields for a total of 34 years beyond their originally-approved lifetime. Tordis has secured consent to operate until December 31, 2036 and Vigdis until December 31, 2040.
Kurt Abraham, World Oil
Another mixed outlook awaits the E&P sector
Parties that want to rein in the country’s golden goose made significant gains in Monday’s local elections. That raises the prospect of more advances for those forces that want to limit drilling in the Nordic nation, which supplies 25% of the European Union’s natural gas.
Shearwater GeoServices has been awarded a master services agreement by Lundin Norway, and new Isometrix seismic acquisition projects for Lundin and Spirit Energy Norway in the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea.
BP’s first foray into unmanned over-the-horizon operations, using Sonardyne technology and an unmanned surface vessel (USV), is helping it gather strategic data. It’s also a key step towards a more marine autonomous systems-led future.
The project aims to overcome the challenges associated with drone inspection activities in the North Sea and allow commercial operators of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles easier access to UK controlled airspace for beyond visual line of sight operations.
“We’ve had some great debates about our future, especially about the energy transition and our license to operate. I think the energy and ideas of the conference will carry on into our work in the future," said Michael Borrell, senior VP North Sea and Russia at Total, and chair of SPE Offshore Europe.