Norway’s new energy minister approves his first field development

September 28, 2018

The Norwegian government has given its approval for Wintershall’s development plan for the Nova field in the North Sea. This marks the first field approval for Norway’s recently appointed Energy Minister Kjell-Børge Freiberg.

Freiberg, appointed Minister of Petroleum and Energy on August 31, 2018, said: “It’s a great pleasure to approve my first field development, Nova.”

He said that the project worth around NOK 10 billion would generate significant revenue for the local community, and will have a high proportion of Norwegian deliveries.

“This is a new proof that the Norwegian supplier industry is gaining ground in international competition, “said Kjell-Børge Freiberg, Frisian and Energy Minister for Energy.

Planned production start in the third quarter of 2021 with production up to and including 2029.

Wintershall filed the plan for development and operation (PDO) for the Nova field in May 2018. The development is expected to cost around NOK 9.9 billion ($1,2 billion)

The plan PDO for the North Sea Nova field – formerly Skarfjell – was the the first PDO on the Norwegian Continental Shelf submitted in 2018. Wintershall is the operator of the fields, with partners Capricorn, Spirit Energy, Edison, and DEA.

Tie-back to Gjøa platform

Nova will be developed as a subsea tie-back connecting two templates to the nearby Gjøa platform for processing and export. Gjøa will also provide lift gas to the field and water injection for pressure support. Power for the Nova field comes via the Gjøa platform from shore.

Recoverable reserves on the field are estimated around 80 million barrels of oil equivalent (boe), of which the majority is oil.