Pipelines/flowlines/risers

Johan Sverdrup Living-Quarters Topside Sails Away

Phase 1 of the development today marked the sail-away from Kværner’s yard of the 560-bed living-quarters topside, the largest of its kind in Norway.

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The Kværner yard with the Johan Sverdrup processing platform in view, and the living quarters and Njord in the background.
Roar Lindefjeld and Espen Rønnevik

The Johan Sverdrup Phase 1 development today marked the sail-away from Kværner’s yard on Stord of the 560-bed living-quarters topside, KBR said in a press release. The topside is the largest of its kind in Norway.

A joint venture between Kværner and KBR was awarded the NOK 6.7-billion contract in June 2015 for constructing the utility and living-quarters topside and led the detailed engineering, design, and procurement scope for the utility module. Leirvik AS was subcontracted to construct the living-quarters modules for the platform.

The complete topside was assembled at Kværner Stord with KBR providing engineering and procurement support during the construction and mechanical completion phase through its team co-located at Kvaerner Stord. KBR provided onshore commissioning assistance to Equinor.

Aud Hove, Equinor’s project manager for the utility and living quarters topside, said, “This is perhaps the closest to a 'plug-n-play' platform of this size we have ever seen, proving that the joint venture in collaboration with Leirvik have delivered an excellent product.”

The Allseas Pioneering Spirit will install the 18,000-tonne living-quarters topside with a single lift after it completes the single-lift installation of the 26,000-tonne processing platform for Johan Sverdrup, which is expected in a few days. The vessel will then return to Stord to pick up and transport the living quarters.

Four platforms make up the Johan Sverdrup field center in Phase 1: riser platform, the drilling platform (installed in 2018), the utility and living quarter platform, and the processing platform. Once completed all four platforms in the first phase of the development will be in place at the field 160 km west of Stavanger.

The single-lift installation technology was introduced last summer during the installation of the development’s drilling platform. The 147-m platform was the first structure to be completed and 85% tested onshore before being installed offshore.

Phase 1: Who’s in the Mix?
Aibel—platform deck for the drilling platform, comprising three modules: the main support frame, drilling support module, and drilling equipment set
Aker Solutions—engineering and procurement for the riser and processing topsides
Allseas—heavy-lift vessel Pioneering Spirit; installation of platforms
KBR and Kværner JV—construction of the utility and living-quarters topside, and detailed engineering, design, and procurement for the utility module; KBR provided the onshore commissioning of the living-quarter topside
Leirvik AS—subcontractor for modules for living quarters
Nymo—partner with Aibel; built the drilling equipment set
Samsung Heavy Industries—fabrication of the riser and processing platforms
WorleyParsons—fabrication of three bridges and two flare towers; A bridge between the riser platform and the drilling platform and one flare tower (riser platform) were delivered in 2018; the remaining two bridges and one flare tower (processing platform) will be delivered this year.
 

Phase 1 Includes the development of four platforms, three subsea installations for water injection, power from shore, export pipeline for oil (Mongstad) and gas (Kårstø); production startup in November.

Phase 2 Includes development of another processing platform, modifications of the riser platform and the field center, five subsea templates, and power from shore to the Utsira High in 2022; production startup in Q4 2022.

Partners in the development are Equinor 40.0267% (operator), Lundin Norway 22.6%, Petoro 17.36%, Aker BP 11.5733%, and Total 8.44%.