STATOIL is mounting a massive North Sea campaign this year that will necessitate 21 production shutdowns on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The shutdowns will allow for required maintenance and inspection, and many of its installations will be upgraded to expand capacity, implement technical improvements and extend their economic life. All this will be accomplished during the planned shutdowns, says Statoil.
Last year, 26 shutdowns involving 270,000 work-hours were implemented. However, this year’s campaign involves fewer, but larger, operations.
Some 313,000 hours are due to be worked involving Statoil’s own personnel, as well as contractor employees, along the whole coast, and the turnarounds will be completed by October 1 because of gas delivery commitments and weather.
The first shutdown began on Statfjord B last month.
Short, but demanding, halts are planned on Oseberg in June, with extensive upgrading and project work. That includes repairing the flare system at the field centre and implementing part of the low-pressure project.
Capacity upgrades are on the agenda for Snorre A, while work on Troll A includes preparations for a new gas pipeline to Kollsnes and an expansion of the living quarters. The turnarounds will affect the following installations and plants: Oseberg, Statfjord, Gullfaks, Snorre, Troll, Kvitebjorn, Visund, Sleipner, Grane, Huldra, Veslefrikk, Brage, Heimdal, Volve, Glitne, Snohvit, Norne, Asgard, Kristin, Njord, Sture and Karsto.
Statoil has just started on a long-planned halt on Snohvit and at Hammerfest LNG on Melkoya. Some of the seawater heat exchangers there still present challenges. Two of the seven were replaced last autumn and four more are due to go during a lengthy turnaround after the summer. Until these replacements are made, production has to be halted to inspect the exchangers.