A fixed platform has been selected by Statoil and its partners for the Dagny oil and gas discovery in the North Sea, while the Eirin gas field is to be developed with a subsea solution.
Gas from Dagny will be exported through a tie-back to the infrastructure on Sleipner East, while offshore loading into shuttle tankers is proposed for the oil.
The seabed production installation on Eirin will be tied back to the planned Dagny platform.
Originally a small gas discovery just north of the Sleipner fields, Dagny has been under assessment for development on a number of occasions since it was found in 1974.
After oil and gas were proven in the neighbouring Dagny East (previously Ermintrude) structure in 2007, the landscape around the original find was reassessed.
Further appraisal in 2008-11 established a connection between Dagny and Dagny East, and substantial oil resources under the whole structure.
“ Dagny and Eirin will be one of our new large developments, with an estimated 300 million barrels of oil equivalent,” notes Ivar Aasheim, senior vice president for field development Norway.
This demonstrates the importance of exploring for and developing fields in mature areas with established infrastructure, he adds.
“We can now extend the producing life of installations and exploit the spare capacity on Sleipner East for many years to come.
“There’s been a very good dialogue between the Dagny, Eirin and Sleipner licensees, with four different licences working to achieve a good coordinated solution with existing infrastructure.”
The chosen solution for Dagny and Eirin will now be secured, with the award of front-end engineering and design (Feed) contracts.
Plans call for an investment decision to be taken a year from now, and the ambition is to start production in 2016.
Facts
*Dagny lies 30 kilometres north of Sleipner East, with Eirin nine kilometres from Dagny
*Dagny was originally discovered in 1974 and Eirin in 1978. Dagny East (Ermintrude) was proven in 2007.
*Dagny and Eirin are estimated to contain 300 million barrels of oil equivalent
*The reservoir is about 3,500 metres down, with the water depth roughly 120 metres
*Estimated investment is NOK 25-30 billion for Dagny and Eirin combined (including rig chartering and drilling)
*The partners and their provisional shares are Statoil (operator) 58.5%, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Norway AS 33%, Total 6.5% and Det Norske 2%. The final licence shares will be subject to negotiation ahead of the development decision
[mappress] Subsea World News Staff , January 17, 2012; Image: Statoil