Aker BP started first oil at the Ivar Aasen field earlier this week, just four years after the plan for development and operations (PDO) was submitted.
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Image of Ivar Aasen, from Aker BP. |
Production began on 24 December in the northern part of the North Sea in the Utsira area, some 175km west of Karmøy.
“The start-up is a major milestone for Aker BP. As operator, we have completed the development in a challenging period for the industry. It is therefore satisfying that we have delivered within budget and on time,” Aker BP CEO Karl Johnny Hersvik said.
Ivar Aasen contains around 186 MMboe, excluding Hanz, which will be developed in phase two of the Ivar Aasen development, and amounts to about 18 MMboe. Net Aker BP, including Hanz, represents approximately 71 MMboe. Ivar Aasen includes deposits for five licenses, 001B, PL028 B, PL242, PL338 and PL457.
According to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD), the recoverable reserves from Ivar Aasen are estimated at 23.3 MMcm of oil, 4.4 Bcm gas and 0.9 million tonne of NGL, excluding Hanz.
The economic life of Ivar Aasen field may be 20 years, depending on oil prices and production development. Aker BP said it is using modern technology to operate the field most efficiently with low staffing. Operations will be run from an operations centre in Trondheim.
“Aker BP’s ambition is to create the leading independent exploration and production company on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The production start of Ivar Aasen is an important step on this path. Without safety conscious, skilled employees and suppliers working in close cooperation, this would not be possible,” Hersvik said. “There are still major challenges in our industry, and continuous improvement in the way we operate is essential. Aker BP is well positioned to meet these challenges in partnership with our suppliers.”
In June, the deck set sail from Singapore to Norway. By late July, the 15,000-tonne topside were installed on the jacket, in two lifts using the Saipem 7000, on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
A substantial proportion of the deliveries for the project come from Norway, and the main part of the platform deck is built in Singapore. The living quarters, which was lifted onto the deck, is built at Stord. The chassis, built in Sardinia, was installed in summer 2015. Altogether over 5000 people worked on the construction of Ivar Aasen, Aker BP said.
Aker BP is the operator of Ivar Aasen with 34.786% stake. Partners include Statoil (41.473%), Bayerngas (12.317%), Wintershall (6.465%), VNG (3.023%), Lundin (1.385%), and OKEA (0.554%).
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