“The extreme pressure and temperature in the Morvin field represents a technological challenge and I am very pleased that we have come up with a good solution,” says Knut Gjertsen, project manager.
Knut Gjertsen, project manager for Morvin, together with Øyvind Bratsberg, who will now take over the field on behalf of Exploration & Production Norway. (Photo: Jorun Hegna)
The pressure in the reservoir is more than 800 bar, and the temperature of the oil that is produced is as high as 150 degrees centigrade.
The conditions on the neighbouring field Kristin are similar.
It is thus possible to build on technology used for this field – which is the most demanding offshore development on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) so far with regard to reservoir pressure and temperature.
”The experience from Kristin has proved very useful,” the project manager emphasises.
Morvin oil piped to a gas platform
The pressure will be controlled by sophisticated technology on the seabed, before the oil is piped to the Åsgård B platform. Although the platform is primarily designed for gas production, it has sufficient fluid handling capacity to receive the oil from Morvin.
Tying in the field to the Åsgard A production vessel has also been considered.
”Åsgard B was chosen because it meets our stringent requirements for safety in the technical solutions,” Gjertsen explains.
The Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) includes NOK 8.7 billion in investments (2007 value). In addition StatoilHydro is studying the possibilities of a fourth production well at about NOK 1.2 billion (2007 value).
Starting in two years
If the PDO for Morvin is approved, subsea templates and production pipeline may be installed this summer. Preparations for this are now being made by sub-suppliers in Oslo, Orkanger and Egersund. If everything goes as planned Morvin may come on stream in the summer of 2010.
Morvin is a typical example of a medium-sized project being implemented by utilising an existing infrastructure. It thus helps maintain production from the NCS at a high level also in the years ahead.
”I am pleased that we have got an effective and competent team in place which is motivated to work on the Morvin project,” Gjertsen says.
Licensees: StatoilHydro (operator) (64 percent), Eni (30) and Total (6).
Morvin facts:
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