Martin Linge topsides reach Norway

Following a journey from a shipyard in South Korea, platform topside for the Statoil-operated Martin Linge field development, located in the North Sea, has reached Norway. It will be installed offshore during summer.

According to the latest AIS data for the Black Marlin, a Dockwise-owned heavy lift semi-submersible vessel, the vessel reached the Norwegian waters near Stavanger earlier today, March 27.

As previously reported by Offshore Energy Today, the utility and process modules for the Martin Linge platform were loaded out by ALE-Offshore Services at a Samsung Heavy yard in South Korea last December. The accommodation module for the platform has been built by Apply Emtunga in Sweden.

Found in 1975, the Martin Linge is an oil and gas discovery located 42 kilometers west of Oseberg, at a water depth of 115 meters.

The development consists of a wellhead production and accommodation platform with a steel jacket and a floating, storage and offloading unit (FSO) for oil storage. A mobile jack-up rig is utilized for the drilling of production wells. The installation will be supplied with power from shore. The platform jacket was installed back in 2014 when Total had the operatorship of the field.

Operations will be controlled remotely from an onshore digital operations center, enabling reduced operational expenditures. Electrification is made possible through a 160 km cable from shore, the longest AC power link in the world. This will reduce CO2 emissions by 200,000 tonnes per year.

Earlier this month, through a transaction with the French oil major Total, Statoil took over operatorship of the Martin Linge field. The Norwegian major now has a 70% interest in the field and the remaining 30% is held by Petoro.

With estimated recoverable resources in excess of 300 million barrels oil equivalent, the expected production lifetime extends into the 2030s. Production start-up is expected in the first half 2019.

Offshore Energy Today has reached out to Statoil seeking confirmation of the vessel’s arrival, which was provided by a spokesperson for the company.

“The vessel is currently located on the south west coast of Norway with Stavanger as destination,” the spokesperson added. When asked about next milestone and installation date, the spokesperson said that installation offshore will take place during this summer.

Offshore Energy Today Staff