Norway’s energy minister officially said today that first oil from the Ivar Aasen field in the Norwegian North Sea was an “important milestone” for the sector.
Operator AkerBP started production from the field on December 24 and the feat was celebrated today at a ceremony on the helideck of the Ivar platform.
Energy Minister Terje Soviknes said: “The development of Ivar Aasen is an important milestone for the oil industry, and represents significant values for the Norwegian society.”
Discovered in 2008, Ivar Aasen contains recoverable reserves in excess of 200 million barrels of oil equivalent and is expected to produce for 20 years.
The £2.6billion project created work for more than 5,000 people.
Operations are controlled from an operations centre in Trondheim, with 21 people handling the asset during normal operations.
AkerBP chief executive Karl Johnny Hersvik said: “Production start-up was a huge milestone for AkerBP as a company. This would not have been possible without skilled, safety-conscious employees and suppliers working closely together. We have achieved good results by working as a single team with a common goal – completely in line with our values.”
Aker BP was established in September following the merger of Det norske oljeselskap and BP Norge.
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