Norwegian offshore safety watchdog, the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA), has given consent to BP Norge to extend the use of the Tambar platform in the North Sea until January 2022.
PSA said on Wednesday that the consent has been granted based on BP Norge’s documentation of assessments which conclude that the platform can continue to be operated safely and responsibly and in compliance with regulatory requirements.
The safety agency’s nod follows the one from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) announced last week whereby BP was given the green light to use the platform on the Tambar field until January 1, 2022.
To remind, the lifetime for the BP-operated platform was set at 15 years in the Plan for Development and Operation (PDO), which is up to July 15, 2016.
The Tambar oil field is located in the southern part of the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, about 16 kilometers southeast of the Ula field. The field was developed with a remote-controlled wellhead platform without process equipment.
BP Norge is the operator with an ownership interest of 55 percent and DONG E&P Norge is the licensee with 45 percent interest.
Also, due to BP’s application for extension of operating life for Tambar, the offshore safety authority recently audited the platform and found several improvement points.
Offshore Energy Today Staff