TotalEnergies puts Danish firm in charge of gas lift project for North Sea platform

France’s energy giant TotalEnergies has hired Denmark’s Semco Maritime for a gas lift project on an unmanned wellhead platform in the Danish part of the North Sea.

Semco Maritime explains that it will play “an important role” in providing lift gas for nine gas wells on the Halfdan C (HCA) production platform in the North Sea, aiming to enhance gas production and extend the production lifetime of HCA. Therefore, the award of the HCA gas lift project contract by TotalEnergies and the Danish Underground Consortium (DUC) represents “a pivotal opportunity” for the Danish player.

Furthermore, Semco Maritime will be responsible for executing topside modifications on Halfdan CA, the hook-up of the gas lift module, upgrading the design pressure of the liquid export pipeline, supporting topside modifications on Halfdan BB, and contributing to pipeline cleaning and testing.

The HCA gas lift project enters a phase of maturation from September 2023 to spring 2024 with extensive planning, groundwork, and pre-fabrication being carried out in close collaboration with suppliers. Semco Maritime confirms that offshore installation activities will be initiated in the spring of 2024. The company will deploy a team with more than 30 offshore staff per rotation accommodated on a dedicated jack-up vessel stationed at HCA.

Anders Benfeldt, Senior Vice President, Oil & Gas, Semco Maritime, commented: “We are honored and thrilled that TotalEnergies, on behalf of the DUC, has entrusted us with the HCA gas lift project. This venture underscores Semco Maritime’s commitment to excellence and innovation as we join forces with DUC to amplify the gas production, extend the life of the Halfdan field and ensure a stable energy supply from the North Sea.”

The DUC is a joint venture involving TotalEnergies (43.2 %), BlueNord (36.8 %), and Nordsøfonden (20%). TotalEnergies is the operator responsible for the exploration and operation of DUC’s 13 producing fields. The Halfdan and Halfdan North East developments are part of the Halfdan hub. Halfdan, which is considered to be the largest producing field in Denmark, was discovered in 1998. It was brought on stream in 1999, followed by Halfdan NE in 2004.

Halfdan NE is a development of the gas accumulation in the Ekofisk formation to the northeast of the Halfdan field, while the main field produces oil and gas from the Tor Chalk reservoir. The Halfdan main oil accumulation is contiguous with the Dan accumulation.

Halfdan consists of two main groups of platforms, Halfdan A and Halfdan B in addition to an unmanned wellhead platform, Halfdan CA (North East). The oil produced from this project is transported via a pipeline to Gorm while the gas is transported to Tyra West. Gas can also be imported (for injection) and exported to Dan.

This is not the first contract award that TotalEnergies handed out to Semco Maritime, as the cooperation between the duo includes two multi-year manpower and construction service contracts entered in 2022 and 2023 as well as the ongoing redevelopment of the Tyra field.