Aker Solutions assembles huge team for giant project: Johan Sverdrup

Norway’s Aker Solutions says it has assembled one of its biggest engineering teams ever to deliver the initial plans for the engineering and design phase of the giant North Sea Johan Sverdrup oil deposit.

The company is on track to deliver the first draft report due in the fourth quarter, a project that has involved 400 employees in Oslo and London. The work covers all four of the planned platforms for the first development phase, including the so-called topsides, jackets as well as bridges spanning the facilities.

“Johan Sverdrup represents the future of the Norwegian oil industry and we are working closely with Statoil, the operator, to ensure the best possible solution,” said Valborg Lundegaard, Aker Solutions’ head of engineering. “We have put together our biggest-ever front-end engineering design team for this project and the work is now two-thirds completed.”

The current work has been proceeding since Aker Solutions in December received a framework contract from Statoil to provide engineering services, procurement and management assistance (EPma) for as many as 10 years at Johan Sverdrup. The accord includes front-end engineering design (FEED) work building on concept studies that Aker Solutions carried out last year for the deposit. Statoil is the working operator for the development, which spans three licenses. The other partners are Lundin Norway, Petoro, Maersk Oil and Det norske oljeselskap.

Johan Sverdrup is the largest offshore oil find in Norway in 30 years and is estimated to hold 1.8 billion to 2.9 billion barrels of oil equivalents. It’s seen producing 550,000 – 650,000 barrels of oil equivalents a day when fully developed, equal to about 25 percent of current domestic output. Production is slated to start in late 2019 and is predicted to last for about half a century.

Maturing the Concept
Johan Sverdrup will be developed in multiple phases. This first will consist of a field center with processing, drilling, riser and accommodation platforms. These will be designed with an expansion in mind. They will be linked by bridges and rest on steel jacket substructures that rise about 100 meters from the seafloor.

The timing of the FEED phase is crucial. It develops the concept to the detail needed that will allow contractors, yards and vendors to bid for contracts to supply equipment and fabrication services. Many contracts need to be in place next year for the field to start production as planned in 2019.

“We worked with Statoil throughout 2013 to identify the optimal development solution for Johan Sverdrup,” said Lundegaard. “We’re very excited to now put the finishing touches on the matured designs that will ensure the project is on track.”

The final FEED report is slated for delivery before the end of the year and will be used by the field partners to make a final investment decision for the first phase development. A plan for development is then expected to be submitted in February next year to Norwegian authorities for approval. The next stage, after approval, will be detailed design and procurement services. Aker Solutions’ contract with Statoil has an EPma option for the development’s first phase and additional options for work in later phases.

Delivery Model
Aker Solutions has seamless project execution models, systems and tools that share work across locations to meet client expectations for quality, local presence, speed and competitiveness. For Johan Sverdrup, the delivery model for phase one has tapped expertise in Oslo, London and Mumbai.

“Aker Solutions’ delivery model draws on complementary capability, capacity and experience from all areas of our global organisation,” Lundegaard said.

Johan Sverdrup Field Center in Phase One

Processing Platform
Function: To process oil and gas to enable transport to shore. The oil handling design capacity is 315,000 boe/day (50,000 Sm3/day) divided into two trains and gas capacity 6 MSm3/d. The processing system includes 3 stage separators, gas dehydration and gas recompression equipment, gas export compressor, gas-fired heaters, produced water processing equipment etc.

Topside Dry Weight: 23,000 metric tons
Topside Dimensions: 100m x 25m

Riser Platform
Function: The Riser Platform (RP) is a combined riser/utility platform and provides water and chemical injection, oil and gas export, field power and can be used for future tie-ins. The platform is designed for a total of 45 risers and J-tubes as well as 10 caissons. The topsides are supported on an eight-legged jacket structure.

Topside Dry Weight: 19,000 metric tons
Topside Dimensions: 125m x 30m

Drilling Platform
Function: To enable platform drilling and well intervention. The Drilling Platform (DP) will also provide well bay, production and injection manifolding functionality. The DP topside includes a module support frame (MSF), drilling support module (DSM) and drilling equipment set (DES). Ancillaries include two platform cranes and supports for bridges to the Riser and Process Platforms. The platform is based on a 4×12 well slot configuration, giving 48 well slots in total.

Topside Dry Weight: 15,000 metric tons
Topside Dimensions: 40m x 83m

Living Quarters Platform
Function: To provide 450 cabins and serve as the field center (control room) for operations and telecommunications. It will contain workshops/stores and provide emergency power and other utilities for the field. The main mustering stations, equipped with nine lifeboats, will be located on the LQ. A permanently stationed search and rescue helicopter will be based here.

Topside Dry Weight: 16,500 metric tons
Topside Dimensions: 85m x 28m

Bridges
Three trussed-structure bridges of various lengths (80-120m). The bridges include large and small-bore pipework and have enclosed access corridors for pedestrian and fork-lift truck traffic.

Johan Sverdrup Field Facts

• Located in the Utsira High area in a mature part of the Norwegian North Sea, 140 kilometers west of Stavanger
• The water depth is about 110 meters and the reservoir is at a depth of 1,800-1,900 meters
• Production start-up scheduled for the end of 2019
• The field has a production horizon beyond 2050
• The partners in three production licenses are: Statoil, Lundin Norway, Petoro, Maersk Oil and Det norske oljeselskap