The plan for development and operation (PDO) for the oil field Vilje was submitted to the authorities for approval on 23 December. The discovery was made in September 2003; Vilje is one example of Hydros rapid progress with small fields.
Vilje, originally called Klegg, is a small oil field with reserves of around 50 million barrels of oil.
âVilje is a pioneering project that shows how rapidly we are able to develop small discoveries in areas with existing infrastructure. The project will be an important contribution to increasing value creation in this area of the Norwegian continental shelf,â says Lars Christian Alsvik, head of Exploration in Oil & Energy in Hydro.
âThe plan is to carry out a subsea development of the field with two satellite structures. The field will be tied up to the Alvheim field 19 kilometres away.
âWe see good business opportunities in linking Vilje up to Alvheim, where the operator Maraton has placed a production vessel which is building up oil processing equipment,â says Alsvik.
Major effort
Hydroâs project team has put in a significant effort to develop Vilje so fast, with a view to start-up at the same time as the Alvhiem vessel is ready for production.
He expects the PDO to be approved during the course of February next year. Production start is planned for 1 February 2007. Vilje will have a plateau production of 35,000 barrels of oil a day. The fieldâs lifetime is estimated at around 15 years.
So far, an exploration well has been drilled in Vilje. The field is planned to be developed with two horizontal production wells.
The development plan for the Vilje field represents investments of NOK 2 billion.
The name Vilje is from Norse mythology. Vilje was Odinâs brother; he represented reason and movement.
Partners in PL 036, Vilje:
- Norsk Hydro Produksjon a.s. (operatør) - 28,853 prosent
- Marathon Petroleum Company (Norge) - 46,904 prosent
- Total E&P Norge AS - 24,243 prosent