Skarv Satellite Project, Norway

Aker BP (23.8%), Wintershall DEA (40%) and Equinor (36.2%) own the Idun Nord field.

On the other hand, Aker BP holds 30% stake in Ørn, with Equinor (30%) and PGNiG (40%) owning the remaining stake.

Aker BP submitted the Plans for Development and Operation (PDOs) for the three discoveries to the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy in December 2022. The three PDOs were approved in June 2023.

Overall, the project will entail a total investment of around NOK17bn ($1.73bn). Production is expected to commence in the third quarter of 2027.

Discovery and Reservoir Details

Alve Nord field was discovered in 2011 by drilling 6607/12-2 S well. The field is located 40km northeast of the Skarv field at a water depth of 380m.

It comprises two primary reservoir intervals- the sandrich gravity flows of the Cretaceous Lange Formation and shallow to marginal marine deposits in the Jurassic.

The reservoir in the Jurassic is considered poor to moderate, while the Cretaceous Lange interval reservoir quality was categorised as moderate to good.

Alve Nord will primarily produce gas.

Idun Nord field was discovered by well 6507/3-7, which was drilled in 2009. The field is located east of the Skarv field at water depth of 380m.

The reservoir has two segments, one of which is proved. It hosts gas and condensate in sandstone of Middle Jurassic age in the Garn and Not Formations.

Ørn is a gas and condensate field located 20km northwest of the Skarv field. It was discovered in 2019 with a well 6507/2-5 S.

The reservoir of the offshore field is situated at a depth of about 4,100m and is said to be of good quality.

Reserves

The three fields are estimated to contain approximately 120 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe) in total estimated recoverable resources. It will primarily produce gas.

Skarv Satellite Project Development

The Skarv Satellite Project will be developed via a subsea tie-back to the Skarv Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO).

Each of the three developments will include a four-slot template and two wells, subsea tied back to the Skarv FPSO.

Ørn will produce via pressure depletion from two production wells- one inclined and one near horizontal, while Alve Nord will be drained by depletion via one horizontal well in the Cretaceous and one high-angle well in the Jurassic.

Idun Nord, on the other hand, will produce by depletion and some aquifer support.

The wells of all the three assets will be drilled from a new separate four-slot subsea templates, which will be connected to a new central manifold linked to the Skarv FPSO.

The output from the Skarv Satellite Project is expected to have low incremental carbon dioxide emissions at around 4.5kg per barrel.

The gas produced from the project would be exported via the Åsgard Transport System (ÅTS) to the terminal at Kårstø through a pipeline. The produced oil will be transported from the Skarv FPSO via shuttle tankers.

Key Skarv FPSO Details

Skarv FPSO is a 295m long and 51m wide vessel. The FPSO includes 15 mooring lines, 13 risers and 100 single-bed cabins. It features a 18,000-tonne topside, 49,000-tonne hull and 7,000-tonne mooring system.

The vessel’s production capacity is 85,000 barrels/day of oil and 19 million cubic metres per day of gas (670 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscf/d)).

Contractors Involved

In December 2022, Aker Solutions announced that Aker BP is executing the contracts for the project through a subsea alliance with Aker Solutions and Subsea 7, and a modification alliance with Aker Solutions.

Under the contract, Aker Solutions will carry out modification work on the Skarv FPSO to enable the tie-back and integration of the Skarv satellite project.

Subsea 7 won the subsea umbilical riser flowline (SURF) contract.