Nova topside module ready for transport and installation in North Sea

Neptune Energy has reported that the load out of the 740-tonne topside module for the Nova brownfield project in the Norwegian North Sea has been completed ahead of the installation offshore with the world’s largest semi-sub crane vessel. 

The module was lifted onto a barge at the Rosenberg Worley yard in Stavanger and will be transferred to the world’s largest crane vessel, Heerema’s Sleipnir, and then installed on the Neptune-operated Gjøa platform, Neptune said on Tuesday.

Neptune awarded a contract to Rosenberg WorleyParsons for construction and installation of a new Nova topside module on the Gjøa platform in May 2018.

Neptune has been leading the project on behalf of the Nova operator, Wintershall Dea, which will provide additional gas and oil volumes and extend the operating life of Gjøa.

Wintershall Dea is developing the Nova field with two subsea modules tied back to the Gjøa platform for processing and export.

Neptune’s Managing Director for Norway, Odin Estensen, said: “We are proud to have reached this milestone in what is an important brownfield project for Neptune and the Gjøa platform”.

Estensen added: “Especially today, as the international community and our sector is facing challenges related to both the COVID-19 pandemic and lower commodity prices, milestones such as these are very important and motivating for all those involved.”

The module’s load-out completes the fabrication phase by Rosenberg Worley which began in November 2018.

Wintershall Dea’s Nova topside Manager, Øyvind Eie, said: “Neptune and Rosenberg have worked hard, together with the Wintershall Dea team, to complete the Nova module on time, with high quality and minimum carry-over work despite the challenging situation we are in.

“I am looking forward to achieving the next major Nova milestone together as we proceed towards module installation and finally production start.”

The module will process the Nova field hydrocarbons and provide water injection facilities via the Gjøa platform. It is scheduled to be installed next month on Gjøa, the first floating production platform to be powered by hydroelectricity delivered via a submarine cable from the mainland, saving 200,000 tonnes of CO2 each year. First gas is scheduled for 2021.

Gjøa license partners are Neptune Energy (30% and operator), Petoro (30%), Wintershall Dea Norge (28%), and OKEA (12%).