North-east energy service firms will get the chance to bid for work on Statoil’s Mariner field development from later this year.
The Norwegian oil giant has already awarded contracts for the majority of facilities work on the site, but says it will be actively seeking local contractors for drilling and well work, business support services, and maintenance and modifications work.
The £4.5billion Mariner development, which lies 150km east of the Shetlands, is the largest investment on the UK Continental Shelf for over a decade.
Statoil anticipates the project, which was sanctioned by the UK Government in December 2012, will produce more than 250million barrels over 30 years.
The company’s vice president Ingolf Soreide told Energy Voice the company had so far recruited between 50 and 60 staff for its Aberdeen office, which will be managing the Mariner operation, and it was on track to have 70 people by the end of the year.
“When it comes to drilling and well services there are a lot of companies located in Aberdeen. There are well qualified suppliers that’s for sure,” said Mr Soreide, in Aberdeen for the Oil & Gas UK Pilot share fair today.
A very large proportion of contract work for the project would go to local companies, he said.
UK suppliers interested in tendering for contracts needed to make sure they were registered with supply chain gateway FPAL, said Statoil’s head of procurement in Aberdeen, Maja Kildedal.
“We have recently set up an office in Aberdeen and we are setting up a procurement division,” she said.
“We would like to accommodate UK supplier participation so we will tender for most of our contracts in the UK in the next two to three years.”
Among the contracts being put out for tender in the coming months are well heads and xmas trees in Q4 of this year, helicopters and fixed wing services in Q2 2014 and various operations, maintenance, logistics and drilling and well work.
The Mariner heavy oil field was first discovered in 1981. Statoil acquired 44.4% of the field in 2007, when it took on an operational role, acquiring an additional 20.67% in 2010.
The project is a partnership between the Norwegian firm and JX Nippon Exploration and Production, which holds 28.9% interest, and Cairn Energy,which holds the remaining 6%.
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