TOTAL has filed its $4.5billion high pressure / high temperature (HP/HT) Hild field development and operation plan with the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate.
Recoverable reserves are estimated at 182.4million barrels oil equivalent and the field is located on block 30/7 in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, close to the UK-Norway median line in around 100-120m of water.
Indeed, some years ago, Hild was seen as a potential tie-in candidate for Total’s Alwyn field complex on the UK side of the line because of its relatively close proximity.
However, the decision was eventually made to go for a standalone development.
According to the plan submitted to the NPD, Hild is to be developed with an integrated wellhead, living quarters, and production facility with a nominal life expectancy of 30 years.
Total’s plan includes being able to remotely control production from a command centre located in Stavanger. This will route via cable through Kollsnes.
In line with current Norwegian government requirements, it will receive power from onshore, reducing CO2 emissions by 200,000-250,000 tonnes a year, or some 2million tonnes over the field’s lifetime.
The plan involves transporting the oil by pipeline to a contracted floating storage vessel, where it would be processed before being loaded into shuttle tankers.
The storage unit will draw its power requirements via the production facility and have a storage capacity of 620,000 barrels of oil.
Total’s intention is to produce gas and condensate from Hild East and oil from Hild Olje first, without pressure support.
Then, the oil reserves from the Frigg formation (Hild Central and Hild West) will be phased in and developed using gas-lift. The field is scheduled to start production in 2016.
Maersk holds the development drilling contract and will deploy a heavy-duty jack-up currently under construction at Keppel FELS in Singapore.
Aker Solutions holds the basic engineering contract. The workscope includes engineering for the topsides, jacket, a floating storage and offloading unit, turret and mooring, subsea umbilicals, risers, pipelines and flowlines and transportation and installation. The task should be completed summer this year.
Aker Solutions’ head offices in Oslo, Norway is doing the topsides engineering, while the turret and mooring work is in the hands of the company’s Kristiansand centre. The group previously completed a pre-project/pre-basic engineering study for the field.
Hild was found in 1975. The initial discovery well was followed by 11 further exploration wells drilled between 1975 and 1985.
In 2003, a 3D seismic survey was performed over the area, which confirmed that the geology in the area was heavily faulted. Moreover, its HP/HT characteristics meant that the field would be complicated to develop.
Total holds a 51% interest in partnership with Petoro, holding 30%, and Statoil with the remaining 19%.