Norwegian diving contractor secures work on Vår Energi’s field

Norwegian diving contractor SubseaPartner has won a contract to deliver a new diver launch and recovery system in the North Sea for Vår Energi.

SubseaPartner said it was awarded a substantial contract by Ocean Installer for the 2024 season for end-client Vår Energi as part of the Balder Future Project.

The first phase of work includes engineering, planning, design, fabrication, and commissioning of a new diver launch and recovery system, while the second phase is surface-supplied diving operations to finalize the hook-up of the Jotun FPSO in the North Sea.

Currently stationed at Rosenberg in Stavanger, the FPSO is undergoing preparations for re-installation between the Balder FPU and the Ringhorne platform during the summer of 2024.

The launch and recovery system for divers will be installed inside the FPSO, enabling diving operations inside the turret. The turret mooring system, integral to the Jotun FPSO hull, includes a bearing system facilitating the rotation of the FPSO around the turret.

According to the Norwegian company, a large team of divers will be engaged in connecting and tensioning mooring lines during the hook-up, as well as cutting and recovering excess mooring chains from within the turret.

“In terms of scale and scope, this project stands out as one of the most complex surface supplied diving operations in the North Sea over the last decade. All our deep quality capabilities are utilised in close cooperation with Ocean lnstaller and operator Vår Energi,” said Anders Remøy Bertelsen, Managing Director of SubseaPartner.

The Balder Future project is part of Vår Energi’s attempts to prolong the production lifetime of the Balder and Ringhorne fields to 2045. It is a part of the Balder X project with the target to recover around 200 million barrels of additional reserves from the Balder-Ringhorne area.