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Equinor makes new evacuated. Hammerfest LNG was shut down in February 2020 and the second one in June
The first well was brought into production
in accordance with emergency routines.
offshore discovery are working together with the emergency 2020.
Emergency personnel from Equinor
Wintershall Noordzee is currently
Equinor has revealed that a new oil and gas services to handle the situation. There are finalizing the hook-up activities to the D12-B
discovery has been made in the Swisher no longer visible flames at the Hammerfest production platform situated close to the
prospect offshore Norway. LNG-plant at Melkøya. Work is ongoing to Anglo-Dutch border in Dutch territorial
Recoverable resources at the site are cool down the area where the fire occurred. waters.
estimated to be in the range of 2-6mn There are no longer visible flames at the From there, the produced gas will be
standard cubic meters of oil equivalent, or Hammerfest LNG-plant at Melkøya. Work transported via the Neptune operated D15-A
13-38mn barrels of oil equivalent, according is ongoing to cool down the area where the production platform, through the NGT gas
to Equinor. The company said the licensees fire occurred. Equinor’s emergency response transportation system to shore.
of the find will evaluate the discovery for a organisation was mustered to support in “It is without a doubt a unique
potential tie-in to existing infrastructure in handling the situation. achievement of Wintershall Noordzee,
the area. The Swisher find is located 6.4 km Relevant authorities have been notified. Maersk Drilling, and our many supply-chain
west of the Fram field and 129 km northwest and Joint Venture partners to develop this
of Bergen. exploration well into a production well in
Equinor noted that the discovery Aker Solutions awarded one flow”, said Robert Frimpong, Managing
demonstrates the importance of “continuous Director of Wintershall Noordzee B.V.
learning”. The company outlined that, based Breidablikk subsea contract “The covid-19 pandemic has not stopped
on investment in new data and exploration us or slowed us down. Our clear goal was
wells that Equinor drilled last year, it by Equinor to deliver, and that is exactly what we have
had developed new understanding of the done”, Frimpong added.
underground in one of the most mature Norway’s Aker Solutions has been awarded According to Wintershall Dea, with
and developed areas on the Norwegian a contract by Equinor for the delivery of a the finalization of this third well, drilling
continental shelf. subsea production system for the Breidablikk activities on the Dutch Continental Shelf
“We are working continuously on keeping development in the North Sea. have come to a temporary standstill.
an exploration portfolio that forms the basis The contract value is around NOK2.5bn With the increasingly challenging
for high value creation and in addition can ($26.4mn), and covers the delivery of four environment in the mature Southern North
be produced with a low carbon footprint,” subsea templates and up to 23 subsea trees Sea, new exploration activities are at a record
Nick Ashton, Equinor’s senior vice president and associated components. low.
of exploration in Norway, said in a company Kjetel Digre, chief executive officer of The German company said that improving
statement. Aker Solutions, commented: “The award the investment climate is, therefore, crucial
“This discovery contributes to reaching demonstrates our competitive position in the to secure the continued success of the Dutch
this goal,” he added. subsea market and will lead to more activity E&P sector.
Equinor’s license partners at the discovery at many of our facilities in Norway and It requires improved framework
comprise Petoro AS and Wellesley Petroleum internationally, creating work for hundreds conditions that encourage and support
AS. Equinor has announced several finds this of employees across Aker Solutions. We look continued exploration, development, and
year, with the last one coming in July. forward to continuing our long-standing sustenance of infrastructure essential to the
On July 8, Equinor and its license collaboration with Equinor in this project.” energy transition, Wintershall Dea stated.
partners Source Energy AS and Wellesley Breidablikk is located on the Norwegian “There is still potential in the Dutch
Petroleum AS discovered gas and condensate Continental Shelf north-east of the Grane North Sea, but the conditions and
in exploration well 30/2-5 S Atlantis in the field. It will be developed as a subsea field circumstances need to change rapidly”, said
North Sea. Based on preliminary estimates, with a tie-back to the Grane platform. Frimpong.
Equinor noted that the proven reserves at the
find were between 19 and 63mn barrels of oil
equivalent. Wintershall Noordzee
Equinor produced more than 2mn barrels
of oil equivalent per day last year and its brings third Sillimanite well
proved oil and gas reserves stood at over six
million in 2019, according to the company’s online
website. Equinor, which describes itself
as a broad energy company, is the largest Wintershall Noordzee, a 50:50 Joint Venture
operator in Norway and employs more than of Wintershall Dea and Gazprom, has drilled
21,000 people around the globe, its website the Sillimanite South field discovery well
shows. and directly converted it into a development
sidetrack.
The unitized Sillimanite gas field in the
Equinor reports fire at Southern North Sea stretches across the UK
and the Dutch continental shelves in licence
Hammerfest LNG block 44/19a on the UK side and blocks
D12a and D12b on the Dutch side.
Equinor was notified about a fire in a turbine It was the third well drilled in sequence
at Hammerfest LNG at Melkoya, it said on after the two Sillimanite Unit field
September 28. No personnel were reported development wells were successfully brought
injured or missing. All personnel not into production earlier this year, Wintershall
participating in handling the incident was Dea said on September 28.

P22 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 39 01•October•2020