Double win for Baker Hughes offshore Norway

Baker Hughes has secured two contracts with Norwegian oil and gas company Vår Energi, said to strengthen its North Sea presence for exploration logging, well intervention technology and subsea production systems.

The first contract is a nine-year engagement that will utilize Baker Hughes’ well intervention capabilities gained through the acquisition of Altus Intervention, completed in April.

In addition to the intervention scope, the company will supply all exploration logging solutions to help Vår Energi further develop its prospects in the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).

The second contract includes the delivery of a bespoke vertical tree system for the Balder field. The agreement spans 15 years and includes the support for existing Balder legacy wells and any future developments in the Balder area.

According to Baker Hughes, this engagement is anchored by the company’s distinct Norway delivery model, a multimodal site in Dusavik, Stavanger, that ensures a forward-looking local future for Norway’s oil and gas industry.

“Baker Hughes has an extensive and successful history of creating value for customers in Norway and the North Sea,” said Maria Claudia Borras, Executive Vice President, Oilfield Services & Equipment at Baker Hughes.

“The two long-term contract awards from Vår Energi enable us to deploy our superior portfolio not only in well intervention, but also in exploration logging and subsea production. Combining our technology, our exceptional regional expertise, and our dedication to a world-class customer experience ensures successful outcomes for both companies.”

Discovered in 1967, the Balder field has been developed with subsea wells tied back to the Balder production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO). The initial plan for development and operation (PDO) was approved in 1996 and production started in 1999.

The field is located in the central part of the North Sea, just west of the Grane field, in a water depth of 125 meters. Vår Energi in April received consent from the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway to use Floatel Superior on the field in 2023.

The company plans to extend the lifetime of the Balder field through the Balder X project, in a bid to extend production from the Balder hub beyond 2045.