Statoil: 2400 people to work on Johan Sverdrup hook-up. First group sails away

May 3, 2018

Statoil is starting mobilization of 2400 workers who will work on the hook-up, finalization, and eventually start-up the Johan Sverdrup field in the North Sea.

The Johan Sverdrup riser platform. (Photo: Anette Westgård - Woldcam / Statoil)

The Norwegian oil company – soon to be named Equinor – said that some 150 people will sail away later on Thursday aboard Prosafe’s floating accommodation vessel «Safe Zephyrus» from Mekjarvik outside Stavanger with the North Sea as their destination.

The flotel will reach the giant Johan Sverdrup field during the weekend, marking the start of the offshore mobilization for the field which will be in production for more than 50 years.

“This is a big day for Statoil and the Johan Sverdrup partnership. Today we’re sending the first group of people offshore to start the important work of hooking-up the growing Johan Sverdrup field center and preparing for production start-up late next year,” says Trond Bokn, senior vice president for Johan Sverdrup.

As soon as “Safe Zephyrus” arrives at its destination, the work to finalize the riser platform – the first topside installed at the field – begins. Soon after, hook-up preparations will begin for the drilling platform, the next topside to arrive in early June.

With two platforms in place, soon after the accommodation jack-up vessel – or jacktel – «Haven» will join “Safe Zephyrus” at the field to increase the bed capacity during the hook-up and finalization phase of the project to nearly 900 beds.

Then as many as 2,400 people from Statoil and suppliers, spread across three shifts, will start calling Johan Sverdrup as their place of work offshore.

Jez Averty, senior vice president for operations in the southern part of the North Sea said: “The next North Sea giant will after start-up – with a peak production of 660,000 high-value barrels per day with very low emissions – be one of the Norwegian continental shelf’s best assets, so we clearly have a vested interest in this going well.”

“A lot of work remains, however, and there are no short-cuts to success offshore. To succeed requires that we remain alert and fully focused on completing the work ahead in a safe and compliant manner. And we have every intention to do just that,” Averty concludes.

Johan Sverdrup is one of the five biggest oil fields on the Norwegian continental shelf. With expected recoverable resources of between 2.1-3.1 billion barrels of oil equivalent, it will be one of the most important industrial projects in Norway over the next 50 years.

Johan Sverdrup will be developed in several phases. Phase 1 is expected to start up in late 2019 with production capacity estimated at 440,000 barrels of oil per day.

Phase 2 is expected to start up in 2022, with full field production estimated to peak at 660,000 barrels of oil per day. Peak production on Johan Sverdrup will be equivalent to 25% of all Norwegian petroleum production.

The plan for development and operation (PDO) for phase 2 will be submitted during the second half of 2018.

Statoil is the operator of the field with 40,0267% interest, with partners being Lundin Norway 22,6%, Petoro 17,36%, AkerBP 11,5733% and Maersk Oil (a company of Total) 8,44%.