Phase 1 of the offshore Norwegian project involves the development of the Lavrans and the Kristin Q discoveries
Illustration of phase 1 of the Kristin South project. (Credit: Equinor ASA)
Equinor and its partners have agreed to develop the Lavrans and the Kristin Q discoveries under phase 1 of the Kristin South project in the Norwegian Sea with an investment of around NOK6.5bn ($753.43m).
Kristin Q is part of the Kristin gas and condensate field. On the other hand, Lavrans is located 10km southeast of the Kristin field, which has been producing since late 2005.
Both the discoveries will be tied back to the Kristin platform to produce an estimated 6.2GSm3 of gas and 1.9MSm3 of oil, which is a total of 58.2 million barrels of oil equivalent.
Equinor is the operator of the Kristin field with a stake of 54.8%. Its partners in the field are Petoro (22.5%), Vår Energi (16.6%), and Total E&P Norge (6%).
A plan for development and operation (PDO) for the Kristin South project phase 1 has been submitted by the partners to the Norwegian minister of petroleum and energy.
Discovered in 1995, the Lavrans discovery is said to have a huge gas volume. Kristin Q, on the other hand, is said to be a high-pressure, high-temperature reservoir.
Equinor projects, drilling, and procurement executive vice president Arne Sigve Nylund said: “The decision to develop the Kristin South area will generate substantial value for society and the owners. We exploit the resources and the existing infrastructure in a favourable way, while contributing to further development of the Norwegian Sea.”
Nylund added that the company has awarded contracts worth around NOK2.2bn ($260m) for the execution of the first phase of the Kristin South project.
According to Equinor, a subsea template will be installed at the Lavrans discovery. For developing the Kristin Q discovery, the company will reuse an already installed subsea template.
Equinor and its partners plan to drill five wells in total, of which four will be at Lavrans and the other well will be at Kristin Q.
The partners are aiming to start production from two of the wells at Lavrans and the lone well at Kristin Q in 2024. The remaining two wells at the Lavrans discovery are slated to be brought into production in 2025.
Aker Solutions is responsible for the subsea production facilities of the Kristin South project phase 1, while TechnipFMC will handle pipeline fabrication, pipelaying, and subsea installation services.
Aibel will undertake the engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) for the modification of the Kristin platform.
Equinor revealed that the technical life of the Kristin platform is expected to end in 2034. However, there are chances of extending it further to 2042.
The PDO submitted by the partners also covers a description of potential future phases of the Kristin South project. These include a potential next phase of Lavrans, and also the possibility of developing the Erlend and Ragnfrid discoveries.
The partners have also inked an agreement to make the Lavrans, Erlend, and Ragnfrid discoveries along with the Kristin field as part of the Haltenbanken West Unit.