Floatel wraps up 8-month gig at Aker BP’s Norwegian Sea field

One of the semi-submersible accommodation and construction support vessels from Floatel’s fleet has completed its mission at a field off the coast of Norway, which is operated by Norwegian E&P player Aker BP.

Floatel Endurance’s deployment at the Skarv field in the Norwegian Sea has come to an end after eight months, registering 23,000 guest nights, 310 helicopter landings, and 89 supply boat calls. 

In addition to providing accommodation for the Skarv Satellite Project (SSP), the increased bed capacity has enabled preventive maintenance to be carried out, says Aker BP. The clearance from the Norwegian Ocean Industry Authority (Havtil) for the floatel’s use was received in February. 

The Norwegian player claims to have deployed two drilling rigs and several multipurpose vessels and rock installation vessels at Skarv this year, reflecting its ambition to develop the field into the future oil and gas hub in the Norwegian Sea, and a central supplier of gas to Europe for years to come.

Discovered in 1998 and producing since 2013, the Skarv field is operated by Aker BP with a 23.84% interest, with partners Equinor Energy (36.17%), Wintershall Dea Norge (28.08%), and PGNiG Upstream Norway (11.92%). 

The field has been developed with a floating production, storage, and offloading vessel (FPSO) – Skarv FPSO. Several deposits and fields are connected to the FPSO, including Skarv, Idun, Ærfugl, and Gråsel. 

In December 2022, Skarv partners submitted plans for development and operations for three separate developments in the area to Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy.  Coordinated by the Skarv Satellite Project (SSP), the developments consist of Alve Nord, Idun Nord, and Ørn gas and condensate discoveries.

Each of the developments comprises a 4-slot template and two wells tied back to the FPSO Skarv. The project is expected to unlock approximately 120 million barrels of oil equivalents (mmboe), predominantly gas.  

Alongside oil and gas developments, the Norwegian firm is engaged in CO2 storage projects offshore Norway. AGR recently conducted an independent third-party technical peer review of the EXL005 Poseidon license and EXL011 license awarded to Aker BP in 2024.