OKEA restarts Draugen after nearly a month-long turnaround

Oil and gas company OKEA has successfully completed a turnaround on its operated Draugen platform located offshore Norway.

OKEA said on Thursday that the production on Draugen started after a successfully completed turnaround, which started on 23 June and ended on 20 July, two days ahead of schedule.

The start-up went according to plan and production started on 21 July, just in time to meet the agreed tanker loading.

The loading is ongoing and will be finished today.

According to OKEA, 15,000 manhours were executed, with up to 169 people on board over a period of four weeks, 89 people on dayshift and 80 on nightshift.

Important projects and maintenance activities for Draugen were completed to ensure the best performance of the platform for the next two-three years, until the next turnaround. 

These include replacement of corroded piping and valves in hydrocarbon services; preparations for Draugen gas import, Draugen long term power; change out of subsea control system; inspection of corroded x-mas trees; turndown project, adjustment of equipment to optimize reductions in productions over time; installed x-line for G-cyclones, reducing deferment when cleaning other hydro cyclones.

OKEA has also completed the inspection of heat exchangers, vessels and the flare system, according to the inspection program; re-certification of 167 relief valves; testing of emergency shutdown functions and other safety functions; and, shutdown related maintenance for all disciplines.

Tor Bjerkestrand, OKEA SVP Operations, said: “Large parts of the offshore organisation have been onboard for a three-week period. Some have started the work period one week ahead of the normal schedule, some have extended their work period after normal work schedule, adjusting their summer vacation to meet the turnarounds needs”.

Draugen is a field in the southern part of the Norwegian Sea. The water depth in the area is 250 metres. Draugen was discovered in 1984, and the plan for development and production (PDO) was approved in 1988.

The field has been developed with a concrete fixed facility and integrated topside and has both platform and subsea wells.

Stabilised oil is stored in tanks at the base of the facility. Two pipelines connect the facility to a floating loading-buoy. Production started in 1993.