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Norwegian authorities have approved drilling activities that Norway’s oil and gas player Aker BP is planning to undertake in the North Sea on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), with rigs owned by two offshore drilling contractors, Noble Corporation and Odfjell Drilling.
The Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority (Havtil) has granted Aker BP consent to use the 2014-built Noble Interceptor jack-up rig as an accommodation unit at the Valhall field . The consent includes the use of the rig as an accommodation facility for the offshore completion of the PWP project at the field in the southern part of the Norwegian sector in the North Sea.
Following discovery in 1975, the initial plan for development and operation (PDO) of Valhall was approved in 1977. The field was originally developed with three facilities for accommodation (QP), drilling (DP), and processing (PCP), with production starting in 1982. A PDO for a wellhead facility (WP) was approved in 1995 and for a water injection platform (IP) in 2000, with bridges connecting the platforms.
While a PDO for two wellhead platforms on the northern and southern flanks was approved in 2001, a PDO for Valhall redevelopment was approved in 2007, including an accommodation and processing platform (PH) to replace aging facilities on the field. The PH platform is supplied with power from shore. A PDO for Valhall Flank West was approved in 2018 and includes a normally unmanned wellhead platform.
In addition, the Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority has granted Aker BP consent to use the 2019-built Deepsea Nordkapp semi-submersible rig for production drilling and completion at the Øst Frigg field. This consent entails use of the rig to drill and complete four production wells to develop this tie-back project within the Yggdrasil area, covering production licenses 873 and 442.
Situated in the central part of the North Sea, 4 kilometers east of the Frigg field, Øst Frigg was discovered in 1973, while the plan for development and operation was approved in 1984. The field was developed with two subsea templates and a central manifold station tied to the Frigg field.
The production, which started in 1988, ended in 1997. The subsea templates were removed in 2001. Øst Frigg is being redeveloped as part of Hugin in the Yggdrasil area.