Statoil, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips rename Luva project into Aasta Hansteen
During the concept selection Statoil estimated the development capital expenditure in the Aasta Hansteen field (formerly named Luva) at some $5.6 billion (NOK 34 billion).
With a total hull weight of 45,000 ton, a length of 193 meters and a draught of 170 meters, the Aasta Hansteen SPAR platform will be the largest of its kind.
In the Aasta Hansteen offshore gas field development project, Statoil, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips share interest as following:
- Statoil 75% , the operator
- ExxonMobil 15%
- ConocoPhillips 10%
The Aasta Hansteen natural gas field is located in 1300 metres depth of water in the Vøring area, 300 kilometres from land
Assumed recoverable volume: 47 billion standard cubic metres of natural gas
The natural gas is dry, with a low CO2 content
The nearest installation (Norne) is located 140 kilometres away, and the onshore plant Nyhamna is located 480 kilometres away.
Discovered in 1997, the field has been operated by Statoil from 2006.
In connection with the capital expenditure decision Statoil,ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips will award EPC contracts for:
- Topsides
- Hull for SPAR FPSO
- Subsea production systems
- Power cables and umbilicals
- Tubing design
- Marine operations and drilling.
Aker Solutions to complete FEED on third quarter 2012
Aker Engineering & Technology AS from Aker Solutions has been awarded a FEED (front-end engineering and design) contract from Statoil to design the world’s largest SPAR platform for the Aasta Hansteen field development in the Norwegian Sea.
A SPAR platform is a cylinder shaped floating offshore installation designed as a Single Point Anchor Reservoir (SPAR)
Aasta Hansteen will be the first SPAR platform on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS), and also the world’s first SPAR platform with condensate storage capacity
The Aasta Hansteen SPAR will be the first production platform on the NCS with steel catenary risers.
With a water depth of 1300 meters, this is probably the only riser technology that can meet the challenges on the Aasta Hansteen field.
The steel catenary risers are made of self-supporting steel pipes in a bow shape between the platform and the seabed.
The mooring system for Aasta Hansteen SPAR platform consists of a set of polyester lines.
There are currently no installations on the NCS with polyester mooring.
Aasta Hansteen may be the first, and it will definitely be operating in the deepest water.
The FEED study will be completed in the third quarter of 2012.
The contract value is undisclosed.
Statoil and Aker innovate with the Belly-Spar concept
The Belly-SPAR concept is an exclusive Aker Solutions design.
The ‘belly‘ refers to the increased diameter on part of the circular shaped hull, where the condensate storage tanks are located.
This gives the Aker Solutions’ Belly-SPAR its characteristic shape.
The shape helps the risers to compensate for the motions on the floating facility.
The Aker Solutions’ Belly-SPAR concept is a result of the innovative spirit among the engineers to come up with the right solutions for the challenging conditions on the Aasta Hansteen field.
CB&I awarded Aasta Hansteen Spar Topsides FEED
Statoil has contracted CB&I to provide FEED services for the Aasta Hansteen SPAR topsides project in the Norwegian Sea.
The platform will process natural gas from the field and will be connected to subsea templates and should have a total dry weight of around 21,500 metric tons
CB&I scope of work in the FEED of these Topsides, includes:
- Processing facilities
- Utilities
- 108-bed living quarters
- Flare
The Processing facilities on the topsides will include:
- Conventional natural gas dehydration
- Dew-pointing with condensate stabilization through heating and separation
- Design for daily production of 23 MMcm/d (812 MMcf/d) of gas.
CB&I will execute FEED from its office in The Hague in the Netherlands.
CB&I is expected to complete the FEED by end-2012,
Statoil and Petro Arctic to maximize local content
Petro Arctic, Northern Norway’s largest supplier network, will look for potential suppliers in the North of Norway within all project phases, with an emphasis on development, and further into the operational phase.
The feasilibity study will form part of the basis for the Aasta Hansteen project’s goals and actions with regard to local and regional procurement.
Special importance will be attached to supplier skills that are relevant for the development phase.
The study will therefore identify capacity, certifications, former deliveries, skills, existing and new alliances.
Furthermore, hall capacity for welding and mechanical work, quay and base availability, as well as other competence elements that may be of importance will be emphasized.
Companies will be evaluated in the northernmost region that may contribute to the Aasta Hansteen development and operations.
This should attract great interest in the local industry in order to contribute to industrial development in the Northern Norway.
For the main contractors the Statoil and Petro Arctic’s supplier lists from the feasibility study will be an important tool in the selection of local sub-suppliers.
Statoil booked to Dockwise the largest transport vessel
Statoil has just awarded Dockwise a $57 million contract to tackle this project with the Dockwise Vanguard, a new super transport vessel that will carry the Aasta Hansteen SPAR offshore Norway from a shipyard either in South Korea or Finland in 2015.
The Vanguard will be an extremely capable transport vessel with a cargo deck 275 meters long capable of lifting 100,000 tons.
Having allocated the first FEED contracts to Aker Solutions for the SPAR and to CB&I for the Topsides, Statoil, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips expect the giant Aasten Hansteen natural gas field to be completed and run into operations by the end of 2016.
