Aker BP Starts Up Skarv Satellites in Norwegian Sea

Aker BP ASA said Wednesday production had started at three gas and condensate discoveries in the Norwegian Sea via tiebacks to the Skarv field.

Collectively known as the Skarv Satellite Project, the Alve Nord, Idun Nord and Orn fields have about 120 million barrels of oil equivalent recoverable resources, according to the Norwegian company.

"Production from the Skarv Satellites is expected to account for a significant share of Aker BP's production in the Skarv area for several years", Aker BP said in a press release Wednesday. "The project also strengthens the foundation for further development and resource utilization in the area".

The satellite project aims to maintain production at Skarv, which went onstream 2012, through 2040.

Each field in the project, completed a year ahead of schedule, consists of a subsea template and two wells tied back to the Skarv floating production, storage and offloading vessel, Aker BP said.

"The project has been executed using Aker BP's alliance model, in close cooperation with suppliers. Together with alliance partners OneSubsea, Subsea7, Aker Solutions and Halliburton, as well as Saipem during the drilling phase, the project has been delivered safely and efficiently, while maintaining high quality", Aker BP said.

"Approximately 60 percent of the project deliveries have been sourced from Norwegian suppliers, and the project has contributed to significant regional economic activity", it noted.

Aker BP chief executive Karl Johnny Hersvik said, "With the start-up of SSP, we have now delivered the entire portfolio of subsea tie-back projects sanctioned in 2022".

Oslo-listed Aker BP, primarily owned by Norway's Aker ASA and Britain's BP PLC, holds a 58.1 percent operating stake in Alve Nord, under production license (PL) 127C. London-based Harbour Energy PLC owns a 20 percent interest, Poland's majority state-owned ORLEN SA 11.9 percent and Japan Petroleum Exploration Co Ltd 10 percent.

In Idun Nord, under PL159D, Aker BP has a 23.8 percent operating stake. Harbour owns 40 percent, Norway's primarily state-owned Equinor ASA 36.2 percent and ORLEN 11.9 percent.

In PL942's Orn, Aker BP owns a 30 percent operating stake. ORLEN owns 40 percent and Equinor 30 percent.

Recently Aker BP said it had signed an agreement to acquire a 51 percent operating stake in a field near Skarv.

The transaction with ConocoPhillips for the Slagugle area in the Norwegian Sea "marks Aker BP's return to the license after seven years", Aker BP said in an online statement August 19.

Three wells - one discovery and two appraisal - drilled in Slagugle between 2020 and 2025 have proven about 50 million gross barrels of recoverable oil from the main Slagugle structure, according to Aker BP.

"A subsea development concept has been partially matured, and the agreement includes preliminary plans for additional exploration aimed at increasing the resource base ahead of a potential development", it said.

Slagugle comprises production licenses 891, 891B and 891C. It sits about 20 kilometers (12.43 miles) north of the Heidrun field and approximately 270 kilometers north of Kristiansund, according to Aker BP.

"The Slagugle area is located close to our Skarv field, and we see attractive potential to add resources through further exploration in the license", said Hersvik.

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