Investments in the region of NKr65 billion are on the cards over the next few years following ConocoPhillips' recent submission of its plans for the further development of the Ekofisk and Eldfisk fields to the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum & Energy. Meg Chesshyre reviews this and other current talking points on the Scandinavian offshore scene.
Ekofisk was the first field to come into production in Norway 40 years ago. Now the plans for development and operation (PDO) put together for the proposed Ekofisk South and Eldfisk II projects will make it possible to maintain production for another 40 years. The Ekofisk South project involves building a new wellhead platform, a new water injection facility on the seabed and the drilling of 44 new wells, while Eldfisk II will involve upgrading existing facilities, as well as construction of new living quarters, a new processing facility and the drilling of 42 new wells.
The fields are located in the southern part of the North Sea, around 300km from the Norwegian coast. The new investments are expected to raise the recovery rate from the Ekofisk field from 49.5% to 52%, and from 22% to 28.5% from the Eldfisk field. ConocoPhillips is the operator for the projects, while Total, Eni, Statoil and Petoro are partners in the respective production licences. Ekofisk South will be developed with a large wellhead platform – Ekofisk 2/4 Z. Eldfisk will have a new wellhead and process platform – Eldfisk 2/7 S.
‘Further development of Ekofisk and Eldfisk is a central part of ConocoPhillips' future plans for the Norwegian shelf,‘ notes Steinar Våge, president of ConocoPhillips Norge. ‘The goal is to increase the recovery rate significantly. The submission of the application is a milestone for further development of the fields,' he adds.
Våge is hoping for final approval in the Storting during the spring session, so that construction work can begin in the autumn. If all goes to plan, the new infrastructure will come online during the period 2013-2015.ConocoPhillips has awarded FMC Kongsberg Subsea a provisional contract with a base value of about $75 million for the manufacture and supply of subsea equipment and services for the Ekofisk South development. FMC's scope of supply includes eight subsea water injection trees and wellheads, two manifolds and control systems, with options for an umbilical and additional controls. The equipment will be engineered and manufactured at FMC's facilities in Kongsberg, Norway and Dunfermline, Scotland. Deliveries are scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2012. OE