Equinor and its partners have announced the boosting of production at the Statfjord Øst project offshore Norway. The initiative enhances the oil extraction rate, leading to an increase in production by a whopping 26 million barrels of oil equivalents from Statfjord Øst.
The project has installed a pipeline from Statfjord C to Statfjord Øst, where five new wells (sidetracks) will be drilled with gas lift and new Christmas trees. Modifications have been made on Statfjord C to deliver gas lift and improve the reception of higher production. The Statfjord Øst development comprises subsea systems including three templates. Located five kilometres north-east of Statfjord C, the field came on stream in 1994.
One of the remarkable highlights of this project is its completion six months ahead of its scheduled timeline. Moreover, the project maintained commendable safety standards and managed to remain within its estimated budget. Equinor noted that this feat was achieved despite the challenges posed by inflation and the weakening Norwegian krone.
Camilla Salthe, Equinor’s senior vice president for Field Life eXtension (FLX), emphasized the significance of prolonging the life of mature fields. “The project is a testament to the value that can be extracted from existing infrastructure on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). Moreover, the Statfjord C platform’s lifespan is projected to extend till 2040. At the current oil price, the enhanced production equates to a staggering NOK 20 billion,” remarked Salthe.
Equinor’s dedication to optimising mature fields is evident in its work approach. The company has drilled two new wells from existing subsea templates, with plans to drill three more. These efforts form part of Equinor’s strategy to be at the forefront of operating late-life fields on the NCS.
Ketil Rongved, Equinor’s vice president for FLX projects, elaborated on their approach. “We constantly seek new methodologies to cut down on costs without compromising on the quality. The collective effort of our team and partners has resulted in simpler and quicker solutions,” he stated.
This venture had received the green light from the partnership in 2020 and subsequently acquired approval from the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy in 2021.
Licence partners in Statfjord Øst Unit: Equinor Energy AS (29.25%), Petoro AS (30%), Vår Energi ASA (20.55%), Okea ASA (14.0%) *, INPEX Idemitsu Norge AS (4.8%), Wintershall Dea Norge AS (1.4%).
