Aker Solutions wins contract for Norwegian Sea tie-back job

Norway’s energy giant Equinor has awarded compatriot oilfield services provider Aker Solutions with a contract to tie back two gas fields in the Norwegian Sea to the Åsgard B platform.

The contract comprises engineering, procurement, construction, installation and commissioning (EPCIC) and implies the tie-back of the gas fields previously known as Iris and Hades, now named Berling, to the Åsgard B platform.

Aker Solutions completed a project FEED in August last year and continued in an interim phase to further develop the scope and optimize the technical solution for the tie-in.

The project is being managed from the company’s offices in central Norway. Detail engineering, procurement and shop engineering will be executed by the Trondheim office with support from Bergen and Mumbai, while construction and prefabrication will be executed at Aker Solutions’ yard in Egersund.

Two first EPCIC scope will begin immediately, with the second expected to start in September.

The Norwegian company described the project as “sizeable”, meaning it is worth between NOK 0.5 billion and NOK 1.5 billion (approximately €44.1 million and €132.4 million).

Berling is located on the Halten Bank in the Norwegian Sea about 23 kilometers southeast of the Åsgard field. The expected recoverable reserves are estimated at around 45 million barrels of oil equivalent, consisting mostly of gas.

Total investment in the development is estimated at approximately NOK 9.1 billion (€872 million).

Offshore mobilization will begin in November 2025, and the tie-back is to be completed in December 2027. Production start is planned for 2028.

“The expected recoverable reserves are estimated to around 45 million barrels of oil equivalent, consisting mostly of gas. The tie-backs will enable a significant contribution to energy security in Europe,” said Paal Eikeseth, Executive Vice-President and Head of Aker Solutions’ Electrification, Maintenance and Modifications (EMM) business.

“We are excited to follow this major development of Berling and continue the third consecutive tie-in project to Åsgard B following the Halten Øst and Smørbukk Nord projects. Together, these projects constitute a significant portfolio of modification projects at Åsgard B where existing infrastructure is being utilized.”