Gudrun plan submitted to the authorities

Tor Madsen (left), head of Statoil’s business development on the Norwegian continental shelf, and Einar Erfjord, project manager for Gudrun, submitted this morning the plan for development and production of the field to State Secretary Robin Martin Kåss of the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy. (Photo: Harald Pettersen)

Today, 23 February, the plan for development and operation (PDO) of the North Sea Gudrun field was submitted to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy for approval. The Norwegian Parliament is expected to approve the field development before the summer.

“I’m very pleased that we now can submit an integrated plan supported by all the partners in the Gudrun licence,” says Øystein Michelsen, executive vice president of Exploration & Production Norway.

New North Sea platform

Plans call for Gudrun to be developed with a traditional steel jack-up platform standing on the seabed.

The platform will have capacity for partial processing of oil and gas, before the hydrocarbons are piped to Sleipner.

The Gudrun field contains around 132 million barrels of oil equivalent, of which two thirds are oil. High reservoir pressure and temperature call for special technology.

“Based on our experience from similar conditions, especially on the Kvitebjørn and Kristin fields, we can develop Gudrun with tested technology,” underlines Michelsen.

Major contract to Aker

“Gudrun will form a good basis for developing other oil and gas fields in the area,” says Michelsen.

Investment in field installations, pipelines and drilling of production wells will total nearly NOK 21 billion (nominal).

A contract for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of the steel jacket has been awarded to Aker Solutions. Invitations to tender for the other major contracts will be issued in the near future.

Source: Statoil