Alvheim partners lift IOR award at ONS 2018

Partners in the Alvheim field offshore Norway have been awarded a prize for improved oil recovery from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate. 

The Aker BP-operated field located in the North Sea started production in 2008. The NPD said the licensees for the Alvheim field in the North Sea have been awarded the IOR prize because of their willingness to accept risk.

“Adopting new technology, sharing data and being able to view a wider area as a whole have helped to more than double available reserves from this area,” NPD said.

In a statement providing rationale behind the decision to award the IOR prize to the Alvheim partners, NPD said:

“Alvheim came on stream in 2008. Since then, extensive data-gathering has led to the continuous identification, maturing and drilling of new well targets. In addition, an exploration programme around the field has resulted in further discoveries and the development of a number of new finds.

Discoveries beyond Alvheim’s immediate vicinity, such as Vilje, Volund, Bøyla and Skogul, have also been tied back to the field. This has helped to more than double reserves in the Alvheim area compared with the figure given in the approved plan for development and operation in 2004.

Drilling of pilot wells and multilaterals, extensive use of oil and water tracers, four-dimensional seismic surveying, inflow control devices (ICDs) and autonomous ICDs (AICDs) are among the technologies which have made it possible to optimise Alvheim production and all the tie-backs of reservoirs which consist to a great extent of relatively thin oil columns.

Good experience with advanced completion solutions (the ICDs mentioned above) to reduce gas production and thereby increase oil output has led to a research project and plans to install AICDs as a further development to close off unwanted water or gas production.”

The award was presented by NPD director general Bente Nyland at an event during the ONS 2018 oil show in Stavanger on 28 August.

Representatives from Aker BP (operator with a 65 percent interest), ConocoPhillips (20 percent) and Lundin (15 percent) were called onto the stage to receive the prestigious prize.

“This year’s finalists for the IOR prize have shown that research, knowledge, and technology development are crucial for improving oil recovery,” says Arvid Østhus, assistant director for development and operations in the northern North Sea at the NPD.

“The winner companies have demonstrated this by adopting new methods and technology as well as being able to view and develop a large area as a whole. They are now reaping the benefit in the form of improved recovery – and increased value.”