Oil and gas production from the Heidrun development in the Norwegian Sea began five years ago today, 18 October.
Since it came on stream, this field – operated in its production phase by Statoil – has yielded more than 372 million barrels of oil or a third of the estimated recoverable reserves.
The first well to be opened, A29, has flowed some 62 million barrels so far.
Most of Heidrun's output is shipped by shuttle tanker to Statoil's crude oil terminal at Mongstad near Bergen.
The field has also yielded more than nine billion cubic metres of associated gas, with two billion carried by the Haltenpipe line to the group's Tjeldbergodden methanol complex in mid-Norway.
And gas exports to continental Europe are due to start from Heidrun late this year or early next year through a tie-in to the Ã…sgard Transport trunkline.
The tension leg platform on the field has maintained exceptionally high regularity since it came on stream, with plant availability reaching almost 98 per cent over the past three years.
According to analyses by the McKinsey consultancy, few if any other Norwegian offshore installations can report such a good performance.