Aker BP: NOAKA platform could be powered by offshore wind

Norway’s Aker BP is working on what it says will be the first energy positive zero emissions field development on the Norwegian Continental Shelf – the NOAKA.

NOAKA – North of Alvheim and Askja-Krafla – area in the Norwegian section of the North Sea consists of the discoveries Frigg Gamma Delta, Langfjellet, Frøy, Fulla, Frigg, Rind, and Askja-Krafla, with gross resources of more than 500 mmboe.

Two options are being considered for the development, Aker BP said, one involving unmanned platforms with host support, and one involving a central hub platform.

“The premise defined by the authorities, and confirmed in recent dialogue, has been that a development should capture all discovered resources in the area and facilitate for future tie-ins of new discoveries. Aker BP recommends developing NOAKA with a new hub platform, which would ensure production from all discoveries in the area as well as higher resource recovery and socio-economic benefits than the alternative,” Aker BP said in its quarterly results presentation.

The PQ concept also more is also the better alternative with regards to exploiting additional resources that may be discovered through future exploration, Aker BP has explained.

According to Aker BP, NOAKA will be a new major field development on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (“NCS”).

“Aker BP’s ambition is to make NOAKA the first energy positive zero emissions field development on the NSC…The goal is full electrification and zero emissions, enabled by power from shore combined with offshore wind.”

The company is targeting a concept selection in 2018.

Aker BP did not provide details on the source of the offshore wind-generated electricity. Namely, Norway has yet to develop its offshore wind industry, something the Government has recently promised to help with.

Worth noting, Aker BP’s partner in the project, Statoil, does have experience in the offshore wind industry, having recently launched what is world’s first commercial floating wind farm – the Hywind – in the Scottish waters. Statoil also operates two conventional offshore wind farms in the UK, the Dudgeon, and Sheringham Shoal projects. The company is also working on the Arkona offshore wind farm in Norway.

Largest FID in years

According to a March 2018 report by Wood Mackenzie, concept select was originally expected to be made in Q1 2018, followed by a final investment decision (FID) in early 2019.

However, Wood Mackenzie wrote in March, “since the development concept has not yet been agreed, we assume the project has been delayed by a year with the first production expected in 2023.

Wood Mackenzie has described the project as a complex development with 15 stranded oil and gas discoveries and five different partners (Statoil, Aker BP, Grupa Lotos, Total and Wellesley Petroleum).

“But cooperation between companies is key. The diverse types of companies involved makes NOAKA even more interesting – Majors, a Norwegian independent, an integrated company and Private Equity. Already there have been disagreements on the development concept, with Aker BP and Statoil at odds on their preference for a manned or unmanned processing facility,” the energy intelligence group said in March.

“If the project gets sanctioned, it would be one of the top five biggest developments in the North Sea to reach FID this decade,” Woodmac said.

Wood Mackenzie expects the oil to be exported with a new build 60-kilometer long pipeline to Oseberg before moving through the Oseberg Transport System to the Sture terminal. Wet gas is expected to use a new build 60-kilometer pipeline to Statpipe and onwards to the Kårstø gas processing plant.

Offshore Energy Today Staff