Field/project development

Equinor Awards Engineering Study to Aibel for Unmanned North Sea Process Platform

The contract is for Equinor’s unmanned process platform at the Krafla field in the North Sea, with plans for tie-in to an Aker BP host platform in the North of Alvheim area.

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Equinor awarded a field engineering, concept optimization, and definition study to service company Aibel for its unmanned process platform at the Krafla field in the North Sea. The study will address the concept to include tie-in to Aker BP’s operated host platform in the North of Alvheim (NOA) area.

Aibel said it plans to develop a design for minimal maintenance, simplified systems and platform functions, and automation and digitization. It will draw upon previous Krafla and Peon concept studies and company expertise from unmanned platform concepts from the oil and gas and offshore wind sectors.

The first phase of the study began in the engineering company’s concept and studies group in Asker, Norway, and will continue until December.

The award follows a June agreement between Equinor and Aker BP for a coordinated development of the Krafla, Fulla, and NOA licenses on the Norwegian Continental Shelf between Osebert and Alvheim.

The development concept for the area comprises a processing platform in the south operated by Aker BP and an unmanned processing platform in the north operated by Equinor and includes possibilities for several satellite platforms and tiebacks to cover various discoveries.

Equinor operates the Krafla license and Aker BP operates the NOA and the Fulla licenses. Partners in the licenses are Equinor, Aker BP, and LOTOS Exploration and Production Norge AS.