Aibel scoops more work on Equinor’s Johan Sverdrup field

Norwegian oil services company Aibel has been awarded the contract for hook-up of the process platform and bridge from the processing platform to the living quarters at the Johan Sverdrup field.

Aibel said on Friday that the contract was included as an option in Aibel’s initial contract for the hook-up of the Johan Sverdrup drilling platform, awarded by Equinor in January 2017.

The company added that the new contract had an estimated value of approximately NOK 200 million ($24 million).

President and CEO of Aibel, Mads Andersen, said: “This is an important contract for Aibel at the Johan Sverdrup field. It confirms that Equinor is satisfied with the ongoing work. We highly appreciate the opportunity to continue our good collaboration with Equinor.”

Aibel’s task will be to prepare and execute the actual hook-up of the processing platform (P1) and the bridge UB002 at the Johan Sverdrup field.

The project also includes connecting the platform’s systems towards the jacket. Also, Aibel will assist Equinor during commissioning and start-up offshore.

120 workers at peak

According to Aibel, the work will start immediately and will be managed by a team from Haugesund, from where the company is currently executing the hook-up of the drilling platform.

The first phase of the project includes preparatory activities in close cooperation with Equinor’s P1 project. The topside for the P1 will be completed at Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea during autumn 2018 and will be ready for installation in spring 2019.

Then, Aibel will start the work offshore with up to 400 employees in rotation towards the summer of 2019. At its peak, the project’s onshore organization will consist of 120 employees.

In addition to the hook-up contracts, Aibel has delivered the topside for the drilling platform and has been awarded the contract for engineering, procurement, and construction of the P2 process platform for the field.

The company has also constructed the converter substation at Haugsneset that would ensure power supply from shore to the entire Johan Sverdrup field.

In other related news, Aker Solutions, together with Kvaerner, secured additional hook-up and commissioning work on the Johan Sverdrup field.

It is worth mentioning that Equinor also awarded Aibel a letter of intent for the construction of the processing platform topside for phase 2 of the Johan Sverdrup development. Phase 1 of the Johan Sverdrup development is well underway with planned startup in late 2019. Production start for phase 2 is planned in 2022.

The contract, awarded in April, includes engineering, procurement, and fabrication (EPC) work and will be headed up from Aibel’s office in Asker. Aibel’s engineering office in Thailand and the company’s own yards in Thailand and Haugesund will also be key to the delivery, which at its peak, will involve around 3,500 employees.