Today Equinor has issued a complementary assessment for the Wisting development in the Norwegian Barents Sea for public consultation.
The complementary assessment provides additional details on the potential impacts of the development for four subjects: Year-round activities, environmental risks, oil spill contingency, and the use of the best available techniques for field development and operations.
The plan for development and operation (PDO) to be submitted to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy will include the full decision including public consultation statements and feedback.
The government will then present its recommendation to the Norwegian Parliament, including an evaluation as to whether the obligation to conduct an impact assessment has been met, and whether field development is recommended.
Equinor writes that “As fields producing for up to 30 years call for good long-term climate solutions, the field is proposed to be powered from shore.”
The installation will withstand ice conditions that statistically may occur once every 10,000 years.
In response to this, ice monitoring systems will be established, allowing operations to be adjusted if the ice gets closer than 31 miles from the installation.
The development is set to stand 186 miles off the north coast of Norway in a water depth of 1312ft.
Equinor will give feedback on each individual statement on the impact assessment and the complementary assessment before the submission of the PDO.
The deadline for statements on the complementary assessment is within two weeks.
Equinor’s senior vice president for project management control, Trond Bokn, said: “The complementary assessment elaborates some key subjects from the impact assessment, strengthening the decision-making basis for a safe and secure field development.
“The impact assessment, public consultation processes, and the complementary assessment have so far not brought to light any information which changes our view that developing Wisting is technically and environmentally appropriate.The work on technical studies and detailing of plans for the development of the project will continue towards the planned investment decision at the end of 2022.”
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