The Njord A platform, normally producing oil from the Njord field in the Norwegian Sea, has been towed ashore.
Statoil on Friday said that the platform arrived at Kvaerner Stord on Thursday, where it will be reinforced and renovated for production beyond 2030.
The Njord A was towed by AHTS Magne Viking from Viking Supply Ships AS and AHTS Havila Mercury from Havila Shipping. It was assisted by the K-Line’s “KL Sandefjord” anchor handler.
One might say that platform has come back home, as this is where it was constructed almost two decades ago.
Discovered in 1986, production from Njord field started in 1997. When the field was developed, it was scheduled for production until 2013. However, discoveries nearby made Statoil think up a new future for the platform.
Snorre Grande , project director for the Njord Future project: “We have been able to recover more of the reserves than originally expected, and following new discoveries and the Snilehorn development, field production will continue for at least ten more years. This is a big and important project and Statoil is working closely with the partners and suppliers to succeed.”
The commercial basis for the Njord A renovation still requires production from Njord and Hyme, where Statoil has identified 177 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe) remaining to be produced.
Scheduled for a tie-in to Njord, the Snilehorn discovery contains 66 million barrels. These two fields combined will provide more recoverable resources than the Gina Krog field, which is currently under development on the Norwegian continental shelf.
To enable Njord A to receive these resources, the hull must first of all be reinforced. Extensive renovation on board the platform will also be made, Statoil says.
Njord has been on stream for 6821 days, and 54 wells have been drilled, including exploration wells. A total of 167 million barrels of oil and 41 billion standard cubic meters of gas have been produced since the start-up almost 20 years ago.
The Njord Future project will also be prepared for further phasing-in of third-party fields. A new and fortified Njord platform may furthermore become a field center in the future for new discoveries in the area.