Norway Greenlights Dvalin Start-up
Norwegian authorities have cleared the Wintershall Dea-operated Dvalin gas field to start production, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) said on October 21.
The field's launch is expected in either November or December, and Wintershall Dea expects to recover a total of 18bn m3 of gas. Dvalin is located at production licence 435 and consists of two structures 3.5 km apart that were discovered in 2010 and 2012 respectively.
The field's development is slated to cost Nkr 11bn ($1.2bn). It will involve a pair of wells at each of the two structures, tied back to Equinor's floating Heidrun platform some 15 km northwest. Drilling began in August 2019. "The development of Dvalin is a textbook example of good utilisation of existing infrastructure in the area," the NPD said.
Wintershall Dea operates the field with a 55% position, while Norway's state entity Petoro has 35% and Italy's Edison 10%. The partners are continuing exploration in the surrounding area. In September, Wintershall Dea awarded a contract to Odfjell Drilling to drill the Dvalin North exploration well, along with at least three other wells elsewhere, in 2021.