The 2/4-S riser platform on Norway's Ekofisk field is to be removed after the Statpipe gas trunkline has been rerouted.
Although tied by a bridge to the Ekofisk centre operated by Phillips Petroleum, the platform is owned by Statpipe with Statoil as operator.
The latter has initiated a project to establish how and when the installation should be removed now that the trunkline has been laid in a bypass around the Ekofisk centre.
Fixed to the seabed, 2/4-S comprises a steel jacket supporting various modules and systems. It served as a pig trap for Statpipe and metered gas flowing into the Norpipe line to Emden in Germany.
"Abandoning 2/4-S trims about NOK 30 million from annual operating costs for Statpipe alone," says staff engineer Torbjørn Brekke in Statoil's transport control centre at Bygnes north of Stavanger.
In addition come outgoings saved on energy consumption and carbon dioxide tax.
First gas through the Ekofisk bypass arrived at Emden on 24 August. Daily transport capacity through Statpipe/Norpipe is 50 million cubic metres of gas.
Deliveries are now being metered by the Draupner S platform on Statpipe, with pigs retrieved and checked on Norpipe's B11 compression platform operated by Phillips in the German North Sea.