Initially scheduled to be shut down during 2014, Statoil is aiming to extend the life of the Norne Field to 2030, the company said in a news release.

The field came on stream on Nov. 6, 1997, and the initial development plans called for the field to be shut down during 2014.

So far Norne and its satellites have produced some 700 MMboe. The recovery factor for the main Norne Field today is 56.5%, Statoil said, adding that production flows from a full 15 subsea templates thanks to several successful exploration campaigns controlled from Statoil’s exploration community in Harstad. In the Norne license alone 26 exploration wells have been drilled, including five successes: the Norne, Stær, Svale, Dompap and Fossekall fields.

The last subsea template to be installed was the Skuld fast-track project in 2013. In addition the Alve Field and the Eni-operated Marulk Field have been tied in to the Norne FPSO, the release said.

During 2014 Statoil, Polarkonsult in Harstad and Aker Solutions in Tromsø have conducted several studies to clarify the technical condition of the hull of the Norne FPSO. Statoil said it was necessary to determine whether the Norne FPSO needed a yard stay in 2018 in order to extend its technical life to 2030.

“The studies conclude that the hull structure is solid and that the life can most likely be extended to 2036,” Norne operations vice president Kristin Westvik said in the release. “We can thus make the necessary modifications at Norne in order to extend the productive life without bringing the FPSO ashore for an extensive period. This allows us time to thoroughly plan the road ahead for Norne 2030.”

The focus now is on progressing maintenance work, according to the release. Statoil will establish a project in 2017 detailing the scope and time of investments and will apply for an extended technical life for Norne by 2021.

Offshore