WATCH: DeepOcean wraps up ‘deepwater milestone’ at gas field in Norwegian waters

Norwegian ocean services provider DeepOcean has finished sliding into place a foundation template structure (FTS) at an offshore natural gas field, described as the deepest field on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).

Norway’s Equinor booked a consortium, consisting of Subsea7 and DeepOcean, in 2023 for the Irpa and Verdande field development projects in the Norwegian Sea. The scope of work for the first field entailed engineering, transportation, and installation of a MEG pipeline, a production riser, umbilical, subsea structures, and tie-ins.

Located in the Aasta Hansteen area at 1,350 meters of water depth, the project encompasses a subsea tie-back to Aasta Hansteen. DeepOcean has now confirmed the completion of the installation of a nearly 400-tonne FTS at the Irpa field for the Norwegian state-owned energy giant. 

The Irpa field, situated in the Vøring Basin in the Norwegian Sea, about 80 kilometers west of the Aasta Hansteen platform and 340 kilometers west of Bodø, was proven in 2009.

The company explains that the operation was carried out by the Edda Freya, with a complex single fall lift, utilizing approximately 95% of the crane’s capacity. The FTS is said to have been put in place within extremely tight tolerances, demonstrating engineering precision, and operational excellence.

DeepOcean, which has been providing engineering, project management, and subsea installation of the foundation template structure at the Irpa field and a suction anchor at the Aasta Hansteen field centre, sees this installation as “a deepwater milestone in Norwegian waters.”

“This marks a major milestone for the project, DeepOcean, and our partners – proving what can be achieved when innovation, experience, and collaboration come together offshore,” highlighted the ocean services player.

Installation of 400-tonne foundation template structure

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The field’s expected recoverable gas resources are estimated at around 20 billion standard cubic meters, equivalent to 124 million barrels of oil equivalent or the consumption of nearly 2.4 million British households over seven years.

Equinor is developing multiple projects, including the one in the North Sea on which Heerema Marine Contractors is working.

Meanwhile, DeepOcean recently inked a deal with Kystdesign to augment its fleet of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).