The over 4275-tonne deck of the Huldra platform was lifted onto the steel jacket on 25 March.
One of the world’s largest crane barges, Saipem 7000, carried out the operation. The Huldra deck was lowered onto two large steel pins on the jacket, over pre-drilled wells.
In July last year the platform jacket was placed on the field by the same vessel. The steel jacket is close up to the drilling rig Mærsk Gallant.
The deck contains accommodation modules, helicopter deck and process facilities. It was built at the Kværner yard in Stavanger.
On 23 March the deck was transported by barge and into Jelsafjord near Stavanger. From there it was transferred to Saipem 7000, which then carried it out to the field.
“The lift is probably the largest of its kind this year,” says Stein Giske, project coordinator for the hook-up.
Statoil’s record lift is a 9300-tonne module on the Sleipner T platform in the North Sea. The world record is 11,600 tonnes, which took place in the UK sector.
Huldra is a gas and condensate field which will come on stream on 1 October. The drilling programme includes six production wells. Drilling is planned to continue until the fourth quarter of 2002, says project director Morten Ruth.