Wintershall Dea Flows First Oil From Nova Field

German oil and gas company Wintershall Dea has started production from its Nova oil field in the Norwegian North Sea together with project partners Sval Energi and Pandion Energy.

Nova is in the Norwegian North Sea, some 10 miles southwest of Gjøa. The Nova field consists of two subsea templates, one with three oil producers and one with three water injectors, tied back to Neptune’s Gjøa platform.

The expected recoverable gross reserves from the field are estimated at 90 million boe, of which the majority will be oil. According to Wintershall Dea, this would be sufficient to cover Berlin’s oil demand for more than five years.

Oil from Nova will be transported via Gjøa through the Troll Oil Pipeline II to Mongstad in Norway, associated gas will be exported via the Far North Liquids and Associated Gas System pipeline to St Fergus in the UK, supplying the European energy market.

Wintershall Dea is the operator of the Nova field with a 45 percent share. Sval Energi also has a 45 percent share while Pandion owns the remaining 10 percent. Wintershall Dea agreed to transfer a 6 percent share of the Nova field to OKEA. Completion is expected in the fourth quarter of 2022 after which the company’s share will be lowered to 39 percent.

“It comes on stream at a time where Europe needs every additional barrel it can get. The completion of Nova emphasizes Wintershall Dea’s strength as one of the largest subsea operators on the Norwegian Continental Shelf,” the company said.

This new field is a prime example of energy deliveries using existing infrastructure in the area – Nova is a tieback to the nearby Gjøa platform, which is sustainably electrified with renewable power from shore. The Neptune Energy-operated host platform will provide gas lift and water injection to the field and receives the Nova hydrocarbons.

The tieback solution further extends the economic life and increases the profitability of the Gjøa field in which Wintershall Dea has a 28 percent share.

“With the start-up of the major project Nova, Wintershall Dea is now operating three subsea production fields in Norway. We are expanding our subsea technology expertise and meanwhile, three further tieback developments, including Dvalin, are in the planning.”

“As a subsea operator we are committed to making the most of the infrastructure that Norway has spent decades developing, as well as maintaining a low-carbon intensity portfolio while producing the energy that Europe needs,” said Hugo Dijkgraaf, Wintershall Dea Member of the Executive Board and Chief Technology Officer.

“This is a big moment for Wintershall Dea and everyone involved. Thanks to the hard work of our project team, our suppliers, license partners, and the host operator, we could overcome challenges through a strong and consistent team effort. A big thank you to everyone who made this happen,” Nova Project director André Hesse said.

With Nova, Wintershall Dea is increasing Europe’s energy supply in a time of need. When the Dvalin field and the partner-operated Njord Future project, in which Wintershall Dea holds a 50 percent share, come on stream as currently planned later this year, Wintershall Dea will provide significant further gas and oil volumes to Europe.

In addition, the company operates recent discoveries like Dvalin North, planned for a Plan for Development and Operations hand-in by the end of 2022, and several other discoveries which could be developed in the future.

“By exploring for and developing new fields near existing infrastructure, we are not only delivering new barrels, but we are also potentially extending the lifetime of surrounding assets. This secures the possibility for future tie-ins, and returns value to the partnership, suppliers, and the Norwegian society” said Michael Zechner, Managing Director at Wintershall Dea Norge.

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