Aker BP Starts Production at Symra in Norwegian North Sea

Aker BP ASA said Tuesday it has put onstream the Symra field on Norway's side of the North Sea, among nine Aker BP-operated projects that the government approved for development 2023.

"The project has been delivered nine months ahead of original schedule… The field is estimated to contribute approximately 63 million barrels of oil equivalent [MMboe] to the Eiga area", the BP PLC-backed, Fornebu-headquartered company said in a press release.

Symra represents "a step into a new part of the Eiga area and a new reservoir type on the Norwegian shelf", said Aker BP chief executive Karl Johnny Hersvik.

Symra's reservoirs contain oil in the Permian-age Zechstein Group and underlying basement rocks, as well as intra-Heather sandstones of Middle Jurassic age, according to Aker BP.

Symra is the second tieback to the Ivar Aasen platform, which is about seven kilometers away, according to Aker BP. Output from Symra is partially processed at Ivar Aasen before final processing at Edvard Grieg. Four wells have been connected to Ivar Aasen via a subsea template.

"Modifications have been carried out on both platforms to enable tie-in of the subsea infrastructure to Ivar Aasen and to increase processing capacity at Edvard Grieg", Aker BP added.

The United Kingdom's TechnipFMC PLC delivered the project's subsea systems. Moreld Apply and Aibel AS, both headquartered in Stavanger, Norway, undertook modifications on the Edvard Grieg and Ivar Aasen platforms respectively. Drilling had been conducted by Aberdeen, Scotland-based Odfjell Drilling Ltd and Houston, Texas-based Halliburton Energy Services Inc through Aker BP’s drilling and wells alliance.

Aker BP operates Symra, in production license 167, with a 50 percent stake. Norway's majority state-owned Equinor ASA owns 30 percent. DNO Norge AS, also a Norwegian company, holds 20 percent.

Norway's Energy Ministry approved the project nearly three years ago alongside Solveig Phase 2, Valhall PWP-Fenris and Yggdrasil in the North Sea, and the Skarv satellites (Alve Nord, Idun Nord and Ørn) in the Norwegian Sea.

Aker BP announced the startup of Solveig Phase 2 earlier this year. The project adds around 39 MMboe in recoverable resources to the Solveig field.

Scheduled for startup 2027, Valhall PWP-Fenris targets 230 MMboe in recoverable reserves, according to Aker BP.

The Yggdrasil area, home to several oil and gas fields estimated to hold recoverable resources of about 700 MMboe, is expected to start production next year.

Meanwhile the three tiebacks to the Skarv floating production, storage and offloading vessel are expected to unlock approximately 120 MMboe. Startup is expected this year.

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