The first production well for Statoil’s Kristin development in the Norwegian Sea, which was spudded on 3 August, faces very challenging reservoir conditions.
With a pressure of 910 bar and a temperature of 170°C, this field ranks as the most extreme on the Norwegian continental shelf in terms of these two parameters.
”We’ve given great weight to using in-house experience and expertise in meeting these challenges and doing the job in a safe and secure manner,” says drilling operations head Severin Longva.
”Experience has also been secured from other companies, and we’ve prepared a special high pressure/high temperature (HPHT) manual.
”Eighty people in key positions on the Scarabeo 5 drilling rig and at the operations office have taken a Kristin-specific HPHT course.”
Owned by Saipem, the rig arrived on 1 August to start preparations for drilling and completing the first well, designated 6406/2-S-3H. It has been chartered for 36 months.
A total of 12 wells are due to be drilled and completed on the gas and condensate field before production starts on 1 October 2005.
Four subsea templates installed on Kristin will be tied back to a floating production platform.
Plans call for the use of two rigs to drill the producers, with West Alpha scheduled to arrive later this year.
Apart from Statoil, with 46.6 per cent, the Kristin licensees are Petoro with 18.9 per cent, Norsk Hydro 12 per cent, ExxonMobil 10.5 per cent, Norsk Agip nine per cent and Total three per cent.