NORWAY — Equinor — along with its partners Petoro, Vår Energi, and TotalEnergies EP Norge — has commenced production from the first Lavrans well in the Kristin South area on July 7, 2024.
This marks a significant milestone in the development of the Kristin South project, which aims to expand production in the mature Norwegian Sea region.
The project’s first phase involves the development of the Lavrans and Kristin Q discoveries as satellites to the existing Kristin field.
The plan for development and operation (PDO) was submitted in 2021 and received approval from Norwegian authorities in 2022.
A new subsea template has been installed and connected to the Kristin platform, enabling the processing of oil and gas from the initial Lavrans well.
The produced gas will be exported to the European market through the pipeline system, while oil will be transported via ship using the Åsgard C storage vessel.
Trond Bokn, senior vice president for project development at Equinor, emphasised the project’s strategic importance: “The Kristin South project demonstrates our strategy to create value by developing existing infrastructure on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Together with our partners and suppliers, we have developed the project and started the production from Lavrans in a safe and good way.”
The first phase of the Kristin South project includes plans for four additional wells: three at the Lavrans field and one in the Q-segment of the Kristin field.
The expected production from this phase is estimated at 58.2 million barrels of oil equivalent, comprising 6.2 GSm3 of gas and 1.9 MSm3 of oil.
Grete B. Haaland, senior vice president for Exploration & Production North at Equinor, highlighted the project’s significance for regional development: “This is a key milestone in our plan to continue to develop new resources in a mature area in the Norwegian Sea. Tying in additional resources to our producing hubs is a cost-efficient way to add production and extend the lifespan of our fields in operation.”
The project boasts a remarkably low CO2 intensity of less than 1 kilogram per barrel of oil equivalent, with emissions primarily stemming from drilling activities.
It has also generated substantial economic benefits, creating an estimated 4,000 person-years of employment across Norway, including 800 in the Mid-Norway region, over the 2020-2025 period.
The Kristin South project builds upon the legacy of the Lavrans field, discovered in 1995, and the Kristin field, which began production in 2005.
The technical lifetime of the Kristin platform is currently projected to extend until 2043, with the potential for further extensions.
The project is operated by Equinor Energy AS, holding a 54.82 per cent stake, in partnership with Petoro AS (22.52 per cent), Vår Energi ASA (16.66 per cent), and TotalEnergies EP Norge AS (6 per cent).
