Subsea upgrade on the agenda for Equinor’s Norwegian Sea duo

Norway’s state-owned energy giant Equinor has received consent from the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) to use upgraded subsea compression facilities on two fields located in the Norwegian Sea.

PSA reported on 9 August that it had given its approval to Equinor to use upgraded subsea compression facilities on the Åsgard and Mikkel fields. The move comes shortly after the Norwegian offshore safety regulator gave consent for a“major” modification in connection with a semi-submersible floating platform on the Åsgard field.

Åsgard, discovered in 1981, is located in the central part of the Norwegian Sea in a water depth of 240-300 meters. The plan for development and operation (PDO) was approved in 1996.

The field has been developed with subsea wells tied back to the production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) Åsgard A. The development also includes Åsgard B, a floating, semi-submersible facility for gas and condensate processing. The gas center is connected to a storage vessel for condensate, Åsgard C. Production from Åsgard A began in 1999, while Åsgard B and C came on stream in 2000.

Mikkel is located in the eastern part of the Norwegian Sea, 30 kilometers north of the Draugen field in a water depth of 220 meters. The field was discovered in 1987, and the PDO was approved in 2001, with production starting in 2003. The field is developed with two subsea templates tied back to the Åsgard B facility.

In February, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) granted consent for the extended use of the subsea facility on the Mikkel field for another five years.