Johan Sverdrup living quarters platform heads to North Sea

Utilities and living quarter platform for Equinor’s Johan Sverdrup project located offshore Norway has sailed away from a yard to the North Sea. 

The fourth and last platform for the first phase of the giant Johan Sverdrup project was ready for sailaway from Kværner’s yard on Stord to the Johan Sverdrup field last week. The sail away was announced by KBR on Wednesday.

In 2015, KBR in a joint venture with Kvaerner (K2JV), signed an EPC contract with Equinor for the complete delivery of utilities and living quarters platform topsides in the Johan Sverdrup field development in the Norwegian continental shelf. This is one of the largest ULQ platforms in the world and will also serve as the field center for the Johan Sverdrup development.

KBR’s London office, supported by its Jakarta office and Kvaerner, led the detailed engineering, design and procurement scope for the utility module upon signing the contract with Equinor. The accommodation module was subcontracted as an EPC lump sum subcontract to Apply Leirvik.

The complete topside was assembled at Kvaerner Stord with KBR providing engineering and procurement support during the construction and mechanical completion phase through its team collocated at Kvaerner Stord. KBR was also actively engaged in providing onshore commissioning assistance to Equinor to meet its ambitious targets of onshore commissioning and early habitat of the platform offshore.

“I am proud that KBR, working as a joint venture with Kvaerner, has contributed to this ground breaking field development for Equinor,” said Stuart Bradie, KBR CEO and President.

With 560 beds, the Johan Sverdrup living quarter topside is the largest of its kind in Norway and it will be installed in a single lift using the Pioneering Spirit heavy lift vessel.

The Johan Sverdrup field – owned by license partners Equinor, Aker BP, Lundin Norway, Petoro, and Total – is expected to provide value and revenue to the Norwegian state and society of more than NOK 900 billion over the field’s life.