Norwegian Grasel field starts up
The Aker BP-operated Grasel oil and gas field offshore Norway has started production, junior partner PGNiG said June 18. Using existing infrastructure in the Skarv area, the project was completed only six months after the final investment decision, which was a record, it said.
It said that although small, it would provide a "very attractive return on investment and a reduced carbon footprint" thanks to the use of existing pipelines.
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Grasel is an oil and gas field with resources of 13mn barrels of oil equivalent (boe). The Skarv area has been producing since 2013 with the assistance of a floating production, storage and offtake vessel (FPSO) – one of the largest of its kind in the world.
The FPSO is also used for the Aerfugl gas field, where five wells operating and two more will be commissioned later this year. It will also off-take hydrocarbons from other fields owned by PGNiG: Shrek and Alve Nord. At the turn of May and June 2021, the unit underwent a major planned turnaround to enable it to receive more gas from new projects in the Skarv area. PGNiG has 11.92%, the other partners being Aker BP. Equinor and German Wintershall DEA.
PGNiG has stakes in 36 licences on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and last year it produced 615,000 metric tons of oil (12,500 b/d), which is 40% more than in 2019. Natural gas production amounted to 0.48bn m³ and was at a similar level as in 2019.
In March 2021. PGNiG entered into an agreement to buy all the Norwegian upstream assets of Ineos, which has interests in 22 licences. If approved, the deal will add over 50% to PGNiG's reserves, raising them from 214mn boe to 331mn boe.