The Alpha North gas and condensate (light oil) structure on Statoil’s Sleipner West field in the North Sea began production on 11 October, just over 24 months after the project was sanctioned.
This development has been brought on stream with one subsea template and four wells. The seabed facility stands about 18 kilometres north-west of the Sleipner platforms.
A 16-inch pipeline transfers the wellstream to the Sleipner T gas treatment installation on Sleipner East for processing.
“Production from Sleipner West Alpha North represents an important addition to gas supplies from the Sleipner area,” says project manager Helge Skjold.
The development has been delivered on time and at a cost of roughly NOK 2.3 billion, NOK 750 million below the original estimate.
Recoverable reserves in the satellite structure are put at about 13 billion cubic metres of gas and some 32 million barrels of condensate.
Licensees on Sleipner West are Statoil, with a 49.5 per cent holding, ExxonMobil with 32.34 per cent, Total with 9.41 per cent and Norsk Hydro with 8.85 per cent.