Norwegian firms Aker Solutions and Aibel have won hook-up and commissioning contracts on Statoil's massive Johan Sverdrup field development offshore Norway.
The contracts have a total value of slightly less than NOK 1.3 billion, excluding options. The scope of work for the riser platform accounts for an estimated 70% of the total scope committed in both contracts.
Aker Solutions has the riser platform hook-up, and hook-up options for the field's processing and living quarter platforms, which are scheduled to be installed in 2019. Aibel has the drilling platform hook up, with provision in the contract for options to hook-up two further platforms.
Johan Sverdrup, 155km west of Stavanger, Norway, is one of the five biggest oil fields on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, with expected resources of 1.7-3 billion boe. The field was discovered in 2011.
The riser platform is the largest of the four platforms constituting the Johan Sverdrup field centre. It will received land-based power and will export oil and gas to onshore - Kårstø (gas) and to Mongstad (oil). The platform will be 124m-long, 28m-wide, 42m-tall, and will weigh 23,000-tonne.
Aker Solutions will work closely with subcontractor Kvaerner on joining together the riser platform's seven modules, which will be transported to Norway in Q2 2018. The scope also covers planning, management and prefabrication.
The contract value is approximately NOK 900 million and will be split about equally between Aker Solutions and Kvaerner.
The work starts in February and will initially involve about 100 people from Aker Solutions, Kvaerner and Statoil, rising to as many as 1000 people at its peak next year. It will be carried out mainly in Stavanger and offshore. Kvaerner will work closely with Aker Solutions and contribute to all parts of the project delivery.
Aibel’s task will be to prepare and execute the hook-up of the new drilling platform at the Johan Sverdrup field. The project also includes connecting the platform’s systems towards the jacket and two gangways, splicing of high-voltage cables, and hook-up of a temporary hotel platform. In addition, Aibel will assist Statoil during commissioning and start-up offshore.
Work starts immediately and will be managed from Aibel’s office in Haugesund. At the yard in Haugesund, the construction of the drilling platform is now more than halfway to completion.
The topside for the drilling platform will be completed and ready for installation in spring 2018. Then, an intensive offshore phase begins for the Aibel crew, which will consist of up to 600 employees in rotation towards the summer of 2019.
"These contacts are the last construction contracts in Phase 1 of the Johan Sverdrup development. The competent supplier team now in place will help us develop a project for several generations on the Norwegian continental shelf. Norwegian suppliers have demonstrated competitiveness, and have together landed more than 70% of all awarded Johan Sverdrup contracts," says Margareth Øvrum, Statoil’s executive VP for technology, projects and drilling.
Preparations start immediately. Kicking off in the summer of 2018 the hook-up work offshore represents the final and crucial phase prior to first oil on the Johan Sverdrup field. In this phase the jackets, platforms, wells, subsea equipment, export pipelines and power from shore will be hooked up to form a fully functioning field center that will come on stream in late 2019.
Two mobile accommodation facilities in addition to the Johan Sverdrup accommodation platform combined have the capacity to accommodate more than 1200 people offshore.
"The scope of work is extensive and in the peak period an estimated 650 positions will be needed offshore, rotating on three shifts, i.e. almost 2000 offshore workers. The entire Johan Sverdrup development puts the industry to the test again due to the size of the project. The Johan Sverdrup commissioning will be the most complex and extensive commissioning project offshore that Statoil has ever been responsible for over its 40 years as an operator on the NCS. It will be demanding, but we have solved complex tasks before with our suppliers," says Kjetel Digre, project director for Johan Sverdrup.
Subscribe
