Equinor ASA and its partners have put onstream the Askeladd West field in the Barents Sea, unlocking new feed gas for Hammerfest LNG.
“Askeladd Vest is an important step in the development of the Snohvit field and will help maintain full production at Hammerfest LNG until onshore compression starts as part of the Snohvit Future project in 2028”, Grete B. Haaland, Equinor senior vice president for exploration and production in Northern Norway, said in an online statement Tuesday.
Snohvit, the first hydrocarbon development in the Barents Sea according to Equinor, has been producing since 2007. The Snohvit Future project, approved 2023, involves onshore compression to ensure the flow of gas and electrification to curb emissions. Equinor expects the onshore compression component to be completed 2028. From 2030, Snovhit is expected to shift to electrified operation.
Hammerfest LNG meanwhile started operations 2022. The plant on the island of Melkoya cools gas into liquefied natural gas (LNG) for export overseas. It has a production capacity of 6.5 billion standard cubic meters (Bscm) a year, equivalent to about five percent of the Nordic country’s total gas exports and about two percent of the European Union’s gas needs, according to Equinor. It is the only facility in Northern Europe liquefying and exporting natural gas, according to Equinor.
Snohvit supplies the liquefaction plant via a 143-kilometer (88.86 miles) pipeline. Feed gas began flowing from the Askeladd field December 2022.
Askeladd West, the newest source field for Hammerfest LNG, consists of two wells and a new well template tied back to Askeladd. Askeladd West is connected to Hammerfest LNG via 195 kilometers of pipeline, according to Equinor.
“The [Askeladd West] field contributes to continued high and long-term production of LNG from the processing plant at Melkoya”, Equinor said Tuesday.
Askeladd West holds recoverable volumes of about 15 Bscm. It has an investment of NOK 3 billion ($302.91 million), according to Equinor.
“Askeladd Vest is a highly profitable project”, said Trond Bokn, Equinor senior vice president for project development. “The project has received substantial deliveries from the Norwegian supplier industry and has created ripple effects on both the local, regional and national scale”.
Norway’s majority state-owned Equinor operates Askeladd West with a 36.79 percent stake through Equinor Energy AS. Petoro AS, also owned by the Norwegian government, holds 30 percent. The other partners are France’s TotalEnergies SE through TotalEnergies EP Norge AS (18.4 percent), local player Var Energi ASA (12 percent) and Scotland-based Harbour Energy PLC through Harbour Energy Norge AS (2.81 percent).
Source: by Jov Onsat, Rigzone Staff