Statoil Awards Aker EPCI Contract for Asgard Field

Statoil has awarded Aker Solutions an engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract for subsea compression topside modifications on the Asgard field.

The Åsgard license has decided on a concept involving gas compressors installed on the seabed, so-called subsea gas compression. The purpose of the modification is to supply electricity to the Åsgard subsea compressor units, which will be installed in 2013.

Åsgard is the first installation worldwide to employ subsea gas processing involving gas compression and this represents an important technological step change in the development of fields in deep and demanding waters and creates exciting opportunities for the industry.

"This modification work is important for the development of gas compression on subsea installations. Aker Solutions has earlier been awarded the contract for developing the full scale subsea compression system. We look forward to working together with them in more aspects of the Åsgard development," said vice president of project procurement in Statoil, Vidar Martin Birkeland.

Scope of work includes building and installing an 800 tonne new module and integration work on the Åsgard A and B platforms in the North Sea. Delivery is set for 4Q 2014. Estimated contract value is approximately NOK 650 million.

"This is an important measure to extend the producing life of the Åsgard A platform, which will in turn increase recovery from the existing field. Subsea gas compression is a technology approach which can boost recovery rates and lifetimes for several gas fields," said Astrid Jørgenvåg, vice president for Åsgard production in Development and Production Norway in Statoil.

The contracts for pipelines, marine operations and other major procurement items in connection with the Åsgard development will be awarded in the course of the year.