Aker BP orders another subsea production system for Ærfugl from Aker Solutions

Norwegian oilfield services provider Aker Solutions has been awarded a contract from Aker BP to deliver the subsea production system for the second phase of the Ærfugl development offshore Norway.

The Ærfugl development is a subsea project, which is being developed in two phases. Both phases are tied into the existing FPSO vessel on the Skarv field, which is located approx. 210 km west of Sandnessjøen.

Aker BP last November sanctioned Phase 2 of the Ærfugl project, three years ahead of the original plan. The goal is to start production from the first Phase 2 well as early as in first half of 2020. This means that production start-up for phase 2 will come before the start-up of Ærfugl phase 1.

Following the contract award, Aker Solutions said on Thursday that the subsea delivery would include wellheads, vertical subsea trees, satellite structures, control systems, a tie-in module and about 30 kilometers of umbilicals.

The contract has a value of about NOK 700 million ($76.4M), which will be booked as order intake in the fourth quarter.

“The subsea alliance between Aker Solutions, Subsea 7, and Aker BP has already demonstrated great value through a series of subsea project deliveries. Close cooperation between the parties is instrumental in making both phase one and two of the Ærfugl project a success,” said Egil Bøyum, executive vice president, greenfield projects, at Aker Solutions.

“Our deliveries to Ærfugl highlight the power of Intelligent Subsea, as we utilize our integrated field design capabilities to accelerate the field development and maximize performance,” Bøyum added.

The deliveries include the Vectus next-generation subsea control system, which offers greater data and power capabilities, and Aker Solutions’ standard, lightweight vertical subsea trees.

The work starts immediately and involves facilities in Norway, the UK, India, Malaysia, and Brazil. The subsea structures are scheduled for delivery in 2020.

Ærfugl is a gas condensate field about 210 kilometers offshore Sandnessjøen in Norway. It is connected back to the Skarv FPSO operated by Aker BP. The field design has been optimized with respect to both subsea architecture and corresponding infrastructure, such as the FPSO topside and SURF (Subsea Umbilicals, Risers and Flowlines). The field design also includes the capacity to accommodate future tiebacks in the area.

Aker Solutions also delivered the subsea production system for the first phase of the Ærfugl development, as part of the company’s subsea alliance with Aker BP and Subsea 7.

Intelligent Subsea is Aker Solutions’ approach to addressing the current and future needs of subsea production through integrated field design, accelerated development and maximized performance. According to the company, this approach can cut the cost of field development capex by as much as 50 percent and reduce engineering hours during development by even more.

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