Three tie-ins will utilise capacity in existing infrastructure at Utsira High
16 December 2022
On behalf of the license partnerships Aker BP today submits plans for the Utsira High Project to the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy (MPE). The project is a bundle of three separate subsea tie-in projects in the central part of the North Sea. Symra (previously named Lille Prinsen) will be a tie-in to the Ivar Aasen platform, while Solveig phase 2 and Troldhaugen (previously named Rolvsnes) will be connected to the Edvard Grieg platform.
The Utsira High Project will develop recoverable resources of 124 million barrels oil equivalent. Drilling will commence in third quarter 2025, while production start-up is scheduled for first quarter 2026 for Solveig and Troldhaugen, and first quarter 2027 for Symra.
The total investments are estimated to approximately NOK 21 billion in real terms.
Aker BP is the operator for all three developments. Partners are Equinor, OMV, Sval Energi and Wintershall Dea. (See below for details on partnership for the three separate production licenses). Separate PDOs (Plan for Development and Operation) will be submitted for Troldhaugen and Symra. Solveig Phase 2 is an extension of the Solveig field, and the authorities will receive a report on the development plans. All three projects are covered by the temporary tax regime adopted by the Parliament (Stortinget) in 2020.
"We expect the Utsira High Project to add valuable production to our portfolio as we already have the necessary processing capacity and export facilities in the area," says Stine Kongshaug McIntosh, VP Projects Execution.
"Further we provide new infrastructure in the North-Eastern part of the Grieg/Aasen asset area opening possibilities for further developments in the vicinity. The Troldhaugen development unlocks potential for future development of additional volumes in basement reservoirs."
Troldhaugen is the first development on the Norwegian Continental Shelf with reservoir mainly consisting of weathered and fractured basement rock (granite). Oil deposits in bedrock have until now not been considered technically and economically viable for production because granitic bedrock is usually very dense. But if the granite is cracked and water has dissolved the minerals, it may be saturated with hydrocarbons.
All producing fields on the Utsira High will be operated with electrical power from shore. Hence the CO2 emissions from the production phase will be very low.
Edvard Grieg was designed and built as a field centre with the capacity to be a host platform for new fields in the vicinity. Edvard Grieg is also the host platform for the Solveig field (phase 1) and for test production from the Rolvsnes (now Troldhaugen) discovery. The Ivar Aasen field was a coordinated development with the Edvard Grieg field. Oil and gas from Ivar Aasen are transported to the Edvard Grieg platform for final processing.
Licenses and partners
Symra – PL 167, 167B, 167C:
- Aker BP 50 percent (operator)
- Equinor 30 percent
- Sval Energi 20 percent
Solveig Phase 2 – PL 359:
- Aker BP 65 percent (operator)
- OMV 20 percent
- Wintershall Dea 15 percent
Troldhaugen – PL 338C:
- Aker BP 80 percent (operator)
- OMV 20 percent
Links
Contacts:
Ole-Johan Faret, Press Spokesperson, tel.: +47 402 24 217
Kjetil Bakken, Head of Investor Relations, tel.: +47 918 89 889
About Aker BP:
Aker BP is an independent E&P company with exploration, development and production activities on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Aker BP is the operator of Alvheim, Edvard Grieg, Ivar Aasen, Skarv, Valhall, Hod, Ula and Tambar. The company is also a partner in the Johan Sverdrup field. Aker BP is headquartered at Fornebu, Norway, and is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker ‘AKRBP’. More about Aker BP at www.akerbp.com.
