Under the five-year contract, Aker will provide engineering, procurement and management assistance services until the planned production start in 2019.

The contract scope also includes engineering and procurement management for the riser and processing platform topsides for the Johan Sverdrup field.

Aker will also be responsible for hook-up work and gangways for the entire field, as part of the deal.

Statoil executive vice president for development and production for Norway Arne Sigve Nylund said: "The Johan Sverdrup field development is of great importance, not just to Statoil and our partners, but also to the supply industry and society.

"At plateau, the production from this field will account for 25% of the combined production on the Norwegian continental shelf. Although the prospects for the future of the field are very good maintaining the right focus on costs both in the construction and operations phase is essential."

Estimated to hold 1.8 billion to 2.9 billion barrels of oil equivalents, the field will produce 550,000 to 650,000 barrels of oil equivalents a day.

The contract award is conditional on an investment decision for the Johan Sverdrup development in February 2015 and is subject to the approval of the plan for development and operation for the field in Parliament in 2015.