Mongstad Refinery News

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.

Statoil has exercised an option of a three year extension of the minor modifications frame agreement contract with Aker Solutions at the Mongstad refinery, located on Norway's west coast. Aker Solutions estimates the contract value to be approximately NOK 360 million. The original frame agreement at the Mongstad refinery commenced in January 2006 and lasts until the end of 2011. Scope of work includes studies and execution of modifications to increase operational stability, capacity and longevity. A total of 100 people at Aker Solutions' office in Bergen will work on the Mongstad contract. "We are very pleased that Statoil has renewed their trust in Aker Solutions.

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.

Nina Udnes Tronstad joins Aker Kvaerner as President for the offshore yard at Verdal. She comes from a position as Executive Vice President for HSE in Statoil where she has been a member of the corporate executive committee since April 2005. She will start 1 September 2007. She will report to Mr. Bjørnar Skjevik who will return to his position as head of Aker Kvaerner's fabrication yards. Ms. Ms. Mr. Bjørnar Skjevik continues in his role as head of the fabrication yards in Aker Kvaerner. Nina Udnes Tronstad will report to him. Nina Udnes Tronstad resides with her family at Inderøy, not far from Verdal. She joined Statoil in 1983 and has had a number of managerial positions in the Statoil, including at its Danish and Swedish subsidiaries.