A contract worth some NOK 230 million to build the quarters module for Statoil's Kvitebjørn platform has been awarded to Leirvik Sveis near Bergen.
Won against stiff competition from foreign bidders, this job means about 140 work-years for the yard.
Leirvik Sveis will handle engineering, procurement, construction and testing of the unit, which includes the helideck and is to be built in aluminium.
Its facilities include 95 berths, kitchen, recreation room, technical spaces and three lifeboats as well as the administration centre for the North Sea platform.
Covering more than 3,000 square metres over six stories, the module will weigh a total of roughly 1,200 tonnes.
Engineering is starting immediately, with fabrication at the yard on the island of Stord scheduled to begin in early December.
The contract calls for the module to be ready in May 2002 for mating with the remaining topsides, under construction by the former Umoe Olje og Gass – recently acquired by ABB.
Located roughly 20 kilometres east of Gullfaks, Kvitebjørn is being developed with a fully integrated fixed steel platform carrying drilling and process facilities as well as the quarters.
Gas and condensate from the field will be separated and piped to Kollsnes and Mongstad respectively. Both these Statoil facilities are near Bergen.
Construction of the platform is costed at NOK 5 billion, with production set to start in the autumn of 2004.
Statoil's partners in the licence are Norsk Hydro and Elf Petroleum Norge.