On 2 December production started from the Verdande subsea field in the Norwegian Sea. The field is tied back to the Norne FPSO. With reserves of 36 million barrels of oil, Verdande helps extend Norne’s production beyond 2030.
'I am proud that, in close collaboration with our licence partners and suppliers, we have delivered the Verdande project on schedule, less than three years after the partnership made the investment decision. Fast and cost-efficient field developments like this – where smaller discoveries are realised through smart use of existing infrastructure – are key to further developing the Norwegian continental shelf,' says Trond Bokn, senior vice president for project development at Equinor.
Investments in Verdande amount to just over NOK 6 billion, and the project has generated significant ripple effects for the Norwegian supplier industry.
The Norwegian continental shelf is changing, and many of the fields being developed are smaller subsea fields tied back to existing infrastructure. This approach reduces both costs and environmental footprint.
'So far, we have tied six subsea fields back to the Norne FPSO, including Andvare, which started up in September, and now Verdande. Verdande helps extend the lifetime, value creation and ripple effects from Norne operations. More than 900 full-time equivalents are linked to Norne operations. By developing smaller discoveries around established fields, we maximise resource recovery and extend the lifetime of existing infrastructure. This is good resource management and good socioeconomics,' says Grete B. Haaland, senior vice president for Exploration and Production North at Equinor.
Verdande is primarily an oil field with some associated gas. It comprises the Cape Vulture and Alve Nord East discoveries, proven in 2017 and 2020 respectively. The field has been developed with three wells in a template tied back to the Norne field via a pipeline.
Verdande
- Partnership: Equinor Energy AS (operator, 59.3%), Petoro AS (22.4%), DNO Norge AS (10.5%), Aker BP ASA (3.5%), Japex Norge AS (3.5%) and Orlen Upstream Norway AS (0.8%). (DNO Norge AS has agreed to acquire Aker BP ASA’s and Orlen Upstream Norway AS’s equity interests, subject to government approval.)
- Verdande is located about seven kilometres north of the Norne field and around 200 kilometres from Sandnessjøen.
- Oil from Norne is shipped by shuttle tankers, and gas will be transported via Åsgard Transport to Kårstø.
Source: Equinor
