Aker BP cleared to deploy floatel off Norway

Norwegian offshore safety regulator has given Aker BP consent to use one of Floatel’s semi-submersible accommodation and construction support vessels at a field offshore Norway.

The Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority (Havtil) has granted Aker BP consent to use Floatel Endurance on the Skarv field, which is located in the northern part of the Norwegian Sea, 35 kilometers southwest of the Norne field. The water depth in the area is 350-450 meters.

Following the discovery of Skarv in 1998, the plan for development and operation (PDO) was approved in 2007. This is a joint development of the Skarv and Idun deposits, with the development concept entailing a production, storage, and offloading vessel (FPSO), five subsea templates, and fifteen wells. Production from the field started in 2013.

The start-up of construction for Aker BP’s Skarv Satellite Project (SSP) was celebrated on Tuesday, 29 August 2023. This project will secure an extended lifetime for the FPSO Skarv. The start-up of production is anticipated in the third quarter of 2027 with an estimated production period of six to ten years. 

The 2015-built Floatel Endurance is a semi-submersible accommodation vessel, which was constructed by the Keppel FELS yard in Singapore. This floatel, which is owned and operated by Floatel International of Sweden, received an Acknowledgement of Compliance (AoC) in 2016.

Recently, Floatel International confirmed the award of a maintenance and safety unit (MSU) support assignment for the Victory, which would be carried out alongside the FPSO Peregrino offshore Brazil. The MSU deal is for fifteen months with a start date in the second quarter of 2024.