Eni is a step closer to starting production on the Barents Sea Goliat field in coming weeks following consent to use the Goliat floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facility from Norway's Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA).
The date for first oil from the estimated 178 MMboe field is now dependent on a "number of activities remaining before the facility can be put into use," as well as post-production start, says the PSA, a timeframe for which has not been disclosed.
The PSA has requested that Statoil, a semi-state-owned company with a stake in the Goliat project, completes verification of this work before start-up.
Eni will also have to provide the PSA with written confirmation that the facility is ready for start-up before it is put into use.
Goliat was originally expected to start-up in Q4 2013, but the project has been beset with delays and cost overruns, most recently around commissioning offshore Norway. When the field comes on stream, Goliat will become the world's northernmost producing offshore oil field.
Goliat is in production license 229, operated by Eni, holding 65%, with partner Statoil (35%). The field was proven in 2000, and is the first oil field to be developed in the Norwegian section of the Barents Sea. It is about 50km southeast of the Snøhvit field in 360-420m water depth.
The field is being being developed using a 107m-diameter, 64,000-tonne circular FPSO (Sevan 1000-design), built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea, and eight subsea templates with a total of 32 well slots. The well templates are tied back to the FPSO's integrated storage and offloading system.
The platform will be supplied with electrical power from the mainland using the longest submarine cable of its type in the world. The oil will be stored on a floating production platform and offloaded to shuttle tankers for exports, while the associated gas will be reinjected.
According to Reuters last August, the project costs surged to NOK 46.7 billion (US$5.62 billion) from an original estimate of around NOK 30 billion in 2009, when the development plan was approved, but some other developments offshore Norway saw cost overruns as well.
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