Statoil and its license partners chose an unmanned wellhead platform as the concept for the Oseberg Future Development Phase I project in the North Sea, the company said Feb. 9. The platform will be controlled from the Oseberg Field center, the company added.
The investment decision is expected next winter. Stavanger, Norway-based Statoil and its license partners will now carry out pre-studies of the platform.
Three various concept studies have been made for the platform, which has no living quarters, helicopter deck or lifeboats.
Unmanned wellhead platforms without facilities, helicopter decks and lifeboats are a new concept in Norway, but Statoil said they have been used internationally, including on the Danish and Dutch continental shelves.
All facilities will be found on the support vessel.
Statoil wants to use service vessels connected to the wellhead platform by gangways during maintenance after the jackup drilling platform finishes well drilling operations.
The total cost for an unmanned wellhead platform is very competitive to a subsea concept, all elements of construction, equipment, wells and maintenance considered, the company said.
“Based on prognoses the costs of subsea systems are still rising. We challenge the industry to cooperate with us so we can turn this trend and develop smart solutions, both above and below water,” said Ivar Aasheim, senior vice president of field development in Statoil.
“The alternative was to place the wells on the seabed, but the costs of subsea wells have been tripled during the last decade. We have therefore chosen a jacket-based unmanned wellhead platform that will reduce costs by several hundred million NOK [kroner],” said Anders Opedal, senior vice president of projects in Statoil.
“The platform will have high-quality equipment to reduce the need for maintenance during the operations phase. Consequently we are planning for only two short maintenance campaigns per year, which will be carefully planned and performed in good-weather seasons,” said Aasheim.
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