Equinor, Petoro, Vår Energi and ConocoPhillips Skandinavia have decided to develop the Breidablikk field in the North Sea. On Monday, the partnership submitted its plan for development operation to the Minister of Petroleum and Energy, in addition to awarding contracts for subsea facilities and upgrading of the Grane platform.
The expected production from the field is approximately 200 million barrels, with investments totalling about NOK 18.6 billion.
Geir Tungesvik, Equinor’s acting executive vice president for Technology, Projects and Drilling said the Breidablikk field is one of the largest undeveloped oil discoveries on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS). He noted that field development will create substantial value for the Norwegian society and the owners.
“We are also pleased to award two key contracts today at a total value of NOK 3.3 billion, including options. The contracts will contribute to important activity for the supply industry and secure jobs for many years,” Tungesvik said.
The development concept selected for the Breidablikk field is a subsea development with 23 oil-producing wells from four subsea templates that are controlled from Grane.
Breidablikk will be tied into the Grane platform for oil processing prior to being brought ashore at the Sture terminal.
The production from Grane will be monitored with advanced digital tools from Equinor’s integrated operations centre (IOC) at Sandsli to ensure optimal production and value creation from the wells.
Arne Sigve Nylund, Equinor’s executive vice president for Development and Production Norway, said he is pleased that Equinor together with its partners have matured the Breidablikk field to development.
“Breidablikk shows how the industry’s combined competencies create high value and returns from a world-class infrastructure on the NCS,” Nylund said.
“[It] will contribute significantly to maintaining profitable production in one of our core areas on the NCS.”
The Breidablikk development will include a control cable system for electricity and communication (DC/FO).
This is a relatively new technology that can reduce the costs associated with further development of the field, in addition to facilitating the use of docking stations for subsea drones on the seabed.
The phase-in of Breidablikk is also set to reduce the CO2 intensity on the Grane field.
Securing jobs in the supply industry
The contract for subsea production facilities has been awarded to Aker Solutions and covers the delivery of four subsea templates and up to 23 subsea trees and associated components. The contract value is estimated at roughly NOK 2.5 billion, including options.
Around 300 man-years in Norway will be associated with the project for the supplier, with project management and engineering at Fornebu and Tranby, fabrication in Egersund and Sandnessjøen and service organisation in Ågotnes. In addition, there will be deliveries from the UK, Malaysia and Brazil.
Wood, the maintenance and modification supplier for Grane, has performed studies for the Breidablikk project, and an option for engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) will now be exercised for the company. The work scope includes equipment installation on the Grane platform in order to receive oil from the Breidablikk subsea facility.
Existing processing equipment and water purification system on the platform will be upgraded. With an estimated value of about NOK 800 million the contract is expected to create over 500 man-years in Norway. The engineering work will be performed in Sandefjord and the fabrication will take place in Stavanger.
Earlier this year TechnipFMC won a contract for pipelaying in the Breidablikk project with options for subsea installation. The award contributes to sustaining workplaces for TechnipFMC in Norway, including the Orkanger spool base, where the pipelines will be fabricated before they are reeled onto the installation vessel.
Although all contracts have not yet been awarded, according to Equinor, about 70 per cent of the value creation in the development phase is expected to go to Norwegian companies.
The contracts are subject to government approval of the plan for development and operation.
Oil will be transported through the Grane oil pipeline to the Sture terminal in Øygarden municipality for storage and shipping. The field will be operated from Equinor’s Sandsli facilities in Bergen. Breidablikk is being phased in during a period of declining oil production at Grane and will help maintain the activity level on the platform.
First oil from the field is scheduled for the first half of 2024.
Partners: Equinor Energy AS (operator), Petoro AS, Vår Energi AS and ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS.
Breidablikk field illustration. Credit: Equinor.
