BP on behalf of the BP Licences has entered into final clarifications with Aker Kværner in a view to award contract for the steel substructure to the Valhall Re-Development Project in the North Sea. Contract award is subject to partner deciding to proceed and governmental approval of the plan for development and operation (PDO). PDO will be submitted to the authorities at the end of first quarter 2007. The contract value is approximately NOK 450 million.
The contract will be executed by the fabrication yard Aker Kvaerner Verdal in Mid-Norway, and includes procurement, fabrication, load-out and sea-fastening of the steel jacket substructure and piles for fastening the jacket to the seabed. The fabrication will start at Aker Kvaerner Verdal at the turn of the year, and the project will reach its peak manpower of approximate 300 personnel in June 2008.
The main reason for developing a new field centre at the Valhall is the subsidence of the existing field centre and the need to operate more efficiently. The new centre will consist of an integrated processing and housing platform, which will become operative in 2010. The jacket will be installed one year ahead of this. With the new platform in place, the Valhall field will probably continue to be on stream until 2050.
The Valhall Re-Development jacket will be number 34 in the series of jackets delivered from Aker Kvaerner Verdal. The yard has over the last 20 years more or less continuously had project execution of jackets.
Aker Kvaerner Verdal is currently building the Blind Faith hull for Chevron in USA. This project will be delivered in the second quarter 2007, and will be connected to the topside in shallow water outside Corpus Christi, Texas during the summer 2007.