Huldra News

Norwegian oil and gas producer Statoil is moving some workers off seven North Sea platforms in anticipation of a weekend storm, but production should not be affect, a spokesman said on Friday. "We are partly unmanning the Statfjord B and C, Troll B, Snorre B, Veslefrikk, Huldra and Heimdal platforms, but production should not be affected," Statoil spokesman Oerjan Heradstveit said. Statoil did not say how many workers would be moved. Wind speeds could reach hurricane levels of 35-45 metres per second, resulting in 10-12 metre high waves, the Norwegian meteorological institute said. The storm will also hit Norway's southwestern coast were several gas processing plants are located, potentially disrupting power supply across the region.

Statoil will shut gas production at its Huldra platform in the North Sea permanently, the Norwegian energy firm said on Wednesday. Statoil put the platform for sale in 2011 and said it was still actively seeking "a solution of reuse". The Huldra field, which produced 2.8 million barrels of oil equivalent in 2013, is expected to be fully decommissioned between 2019 and 2021.   Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis

On Monday, July 28, the topsides were lifted into place on the steel jacket on the Valemon field in the North Sea. Produced by Samsung Heavy Industries this is the first Statoil topsides built in South Korea. The structure sailed from the yard on June 15 this year, and after a quick stop in Åmøyfjorden, Stavanger, last Saturday, it headed out to the field. The transportation to Norway took 40 days. “This is a major milestone for the project, the most important milestone of course being start-up towards the end of the year,” said Bjørn Laastad, vice president for Valemon field development.

ABB as won an order from Statoil for the upgrade of safety and automation systems at the important Heimdal platform in the North Sea, off the coast of Norway. ABB’s scope comprises a new Human-Machine Interface (HMI) for the control system, control room modifications, simulator, fire and gas detectors, integration of telecommunication in the control room and information management systems (IMS). Heimdal field has reduced its own production and the platform is now primarily a hub in the central North Sea for the processing and distribution of gas.

Statoil has exercised a two-year contract option with Aker Solutions for provision of mechanical wireline services on Statoil operated fields and mobile drilling units on the Norwegian continental shelf. The initial three-year contract period started in 2009. Statoil has now exercised the first of two potential two-year contract options. Aker Solutions estimates that the two-year contract extension will generate revenues of between NOK 700-800 million. The contract will occupy around 400 employees, of which approximately 60 per cent will be supporting Statoil offshore. Aker Solutions will manage the agreement from its well service hub at Forus, Stavanger, Norway. "Our cooperation with Statoil within the mechanical wireline segment dates back to 1984.

Statoil preparing to resume production at installations that have been affected by a strike, after the government decided to impose compulsory arbitration in the pay settlement for the Norwegian continental shelf. Norwegian Minister of Labour Hanne Bjurstrøm has informed the parties in the offshore pay settlement that the government will propose to Parliament that the conflict be resolved by compulsory arbitration. At the request of the Minister the parties are to resume work as soon as possible. The lockout that has been announced for the Norwegian continental shelf will therefore not come into force. On Thursday 5 July, the Norwegian Oil Industry Association (OLF) announced an impending lockout for all members of the unions Industry Energy (Industri Energi)…

The Hanseatic trading city of Bergen, on the edge of the Norwegian North Sea, has a long maritime tradition. From shipping to aquaculture to offshore oil and gas, this is a city whose economic identity is defined by its ties to the sea. The city is by far Norway´s largest port, with more than 13 million metric tonnes of cargo transported to and from Bergen in 2010. Bergen is also the country´s largest center for aquaculture and marine science research, and is home to the Institute of Marine Research and an active marine science research centre at the University of Bergen.

Statoil is to choose Samsung Heavy Industries for construction of the topsides for the Valemon platform. The contract is worth an estimated NOK 2.3 billion. The award has taken place in wide-ranging international competition among pre-qualified suppliers. “We’ve awarded the assignment to build the Valemon topsides to Samsung Heavy Industries,” says Jon Arnt Jacobsen, chief procurement officer in Statoil. “We have good experience with this supplier which also has a good track record in HSE.

A total of 21 production shutdowns are planned by StatoilHydro on the Norwegian continental shelf during 2009. This extensive work program aims to achieve safer and more efficient facilities. In addition to required maintenance and inspection, many installations will be upgraded to expand capacity, implement technical improvements and extend their economic life. All this will be accomplished during the planned shutdowns, which are known in oil jargon as turnarounds. Compared with 2008…