ASCO has been awarded a five-year contract until 2030 for base and logistics services for Aker BP in Tananger The agreement also includes continued services in warehouse management and personnel leasing for logistics and helicopter coordination The potential total value of the agreement is £70 million (NOK one billion) over the contract period “Aker BP’s continued choice of ASCO for their base and logistics services is extremely important to us," said Øyvind Salte "We look forward to further developing as a company and continuing our proud partnership with Aker BP This contract strengthens our existing activities in Norway and lays the foundation for further developing the excellent collaboration with Aker BP and digitalize all aspects of its services.” Salte adds “The partnership with ASCO is crucial to maintaining continuity in our offshore operations," said Vegard Olsen "Base and transport services act as the lifelines for materials between sea and land ensuring that we can maintain stable and efficient operations We look forward to continuing the collaboration and working together to further improve our logistics processes.” “Aker BP has been a very important customer of ASCO Norge AS for many years," added Runar Hatletvedt "The company has provided base and logistics services since 2011 A new contract with Aker BP secures jobs at ASCO’s bases in Tananger and Farsund and provides stability and predictability for the future This is a very positive and significant contract for us.” has won a contract from Aker BP in Tananger The deal covers base and logistics services as well as continued services in warehouse management The potential total value of the agreement is £70m ($88) over the period until 2030 “This contract strengthens our existing activities in Norway and lays the foundation for further developing the excellent collaboration with Aker BP and digitalise all aspects of its services,” said Øyvind Salte “The partnership with ASCO is crucial to maintaining continuity in our offshore operations Base and transport services act as the lifelines for materials between sea and land ensuring that we can maintain stable and efficient operations,” added Vegard Olsen They should be bright yellow so they are visible in the ocea.. Don't have an account? 10.4.2025 13:45:55 CEST | The Avinor Group | Press release This week, tower operations at the airports in Molde, Leknes, and Sandnessjøen were transferred to Avinor’s Remote Tower Centre in Bodø. “Following the transfer of Molde, Leknes, and Sandnessjøen, we are now operating 14 towers from the Remote Tower Centre in Bodø,” says Jan Gunnar Pedersen, Executive Vice President of Air Navigation Services at Avinor. Molde and Leknes were transferred on Tuesday, April 8, and Sandnessjøen followed on Wednesday, April 9. Pedersen states that this marks another step forward in the development of the tower centre, which is the largest of its kind in the world. “From Molde, Leknes, and Sandnessjøen, several AFIS officers are joining the centre. They’ve worked hard to ensure safe and stable operations at the towers and have completed all necessary training ahead of the transfer to Bodø. Their efforts over the past years are greatly appreciated,” says Pedersen. The towers at these three airports have been operated locally since the 1960s and 70s. The transfer to the Bodø tower centre marks a new era for the AFIS units (Aerodrome Flight Information Service). “At the same time, this marks the end of a long process that has at times been challenging for those affected. A big thank-you goes to the staff at the towers in Molde, Leknes, and Sandnessjøen. They quickly adapted to short-notice changes and ensured the continued delivery of a well-functioning local service. That deserves great respect. I am deeply grateful for their flexibility, professionalism, and their ability to maintain safe and stable operations locally,” says Pedersen. World-Leading Technology Developed in NorwayAvinor Air Navigation Services introduced remote tower operations at Røst Airport on October 19, 2019, in collaboration with suppliers Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Indra. “We’re pleased to celebrate another important milestone achieved by the team. At Kongsberg, we are proud to be part of this key project with Avinor, now operating 14 airports as part of what remains the world's largest remote tower operation. We greatly appreciate the efforts made to ensure a smooth transition, and we look forward to collaborating with Avinor on the future digitalization of Norway’s airports,” says Kjetil Reiten Myhra, Division Director at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. “Avinor is a global leader in the use of remote towers, and the centre in Bodø is attracting considerable attention in the aviation industry. We are proud to contribute to a fully Norwegian technology platform, in close collaboration with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace,” says Andrew Fiamingo, CEO of Indra Navia. Solid EffortThe three towers were originally scheduled for transfer at the end of March but were delayed due to technical challenges following a planned system upgrade. “The system has consistently supported operations at the eleven towers already within the centre, but we wanted to further improve its stability before transferring the last three. Many people have made great efforts to resolve the issues, and after thorough work involving analysis and system optimization with the supplier, the system was robust enough to support a successful transfer,” says CTO Lars Vågsdal. 21 Towers by 2027The plan is to operate 21 towers from the Bodø centre by 2027. “The investment in remote towers is important for Avinor. It is a forward-looking technology project that delivers significant cost savings while enhancing air navigation services. This investment becomes even more important in light of Avinor’s challenging financial situation, with a need to close the gap between income and expenditure. We have already achieved savings, and further savings are ahead. These benefits will extend to passengers, airlines, and society as a whole,” says Pedersen. Subscribe to all the latest releases from The Avinor Group by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time. In March, 4.2 million travelers used Avinor's airports. This is an increase of seven percent compared to March 2024. In February, 3.6 million travelers used Avinor's airports. This is an increase of 2 percent compared to February 2024. There is a slight increase in the number of domestic travelers, but for international travelers, the number went up by 6 percent. "International traffic drives passenger growth, and in 2024, Avinor's revenues will exceed NOK 12 billion for the first time. The measures decided in the 2025 state budget and the Ministry of Transport's framework decision on take-off and passenger fees for the years 2025-2029, together with the revenue growth, will provide strengthened financial earnings and sufficient flexibility for Avinor in the coming years", says acting CEO Anders Kirsebom. In January, 3.5 million passengers used Avinor's airports. This is an increase of nine percent compared to January 2024. The largest increase is among international travelers, with the number of travelers rising by 13 percent. The number of domestic travelers is six percent higher than in January last year. In the fall of 2025, an electric aircraft will fly between Stavanger and Bergen. Before that, the necessary infrastructure must be in place. For the first time in Norwegian aviation history, Avinor is now announcing a tender competition to deliver fast chargers for electric aircraft. In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us. Aasta Hansteen is the first spar platform on the Norwegian continental shelf – and the largest in the world. The Aasta Hansteen field is located at a depth of 1,300 metres in the Vøring area in the Norwegian Sea, 300 kilometres west of Sandnessjøen. The floating platform is taller than the Eiffel Tower. The Aasta Hansteen field originally included the three discoveries Luva (1997), Haklang and Snefrid Sør (1998). The plan for development and operation was submitted to the authorities in January 2013, and the development was approved by the authorities in June the same year. A new discovery was made in the area in 2015, Snefrid Nord, which was tied into the Aasta Hansteen field. The field is currently producing at plateau. Aasta Hansteen is considered to be a possible host for adjacent discoveries once the field's production is no longer at plateau. In November 2022, Equinor (on behalf of the partnership) submitted a plan for development and operation (PDO) for the Irpa gas discovery, formerly known as Asterix, to the Norwegian Minister for Petroleum and Energy. The Irpa discovery will be developed with three wells and an 80-kilometre pipeline to the Aasta Hansteen platform. Overall reserves for Aasta Hansteen and Snefrid Nord are estimated at 55.6 billion standard cubic metres (Sm3) of gas and 0.6 million Sm3 of condensate. This corresponds to 353 million barrels of oil equivalent. The Aasta Hansteen field is operated from Harstad, by Equinor's Operations North organisation. The supply base is located in Sandnessjøen, and the helicopter base is in Brønnøysund. The field took its name from a different pioneer: Women's rights activist, avid participant in public discourse, painter and author Aasta Hansteen. but first you must accept marketing cookies by enabling them in our cookie settings 16.1.2025 14:49:58 CET | Havila Voyages | Pressemelding Due to storm warnings with hurricane-force gusts along the Norwegian coast Havila Voyages must cancel several ports in Trøndelag New winter storms are brewing along the Norwegian coast with forecasts for hurricane-force gusts and waves up to 20 meters high northwesterly storms are expected from late Saturday night until Sunday morning along the Finnmark coast there will be changes to the sailing schedule for the coastal cruise ships Havila Capella Havila CapellaHavila Capella is heading south along the Coastal Route and will accelerate its voyage toward Bergen to avoid the worst of the weather The departure time from Molde will be determined during the day on Friday Port calls in Trondheim and Kristiansund are canceled Havila PolarisHavila Polaris is heading north and will cancel its Trondheim port call early tomorrow to cross Folda before the storm intensifies It is also unlikely that the ship will call at Rørvik though Rørvik will be passed around 2:00 PM Friday and Nesna are also expected to be canceled Havila CastorHavila Castor is also heading north on the Coastal Route After Øksfjord late Friday night (January 18) This means that all port calls between Øksfjord and Kirkenes northbound as well as between Kirkenes and Havøysund southbound Havila Castor will resume its schedule from Hammerfest on Monday For updated service announcements from our ships, please visit our website. Any changes will be published there. LenkerSailing ScheduleFølg pressemeldinger fra Havila VoyagesRegistrer deg med din e-postadresse under for å få de nyeste sakene fra Havila Voyages på e-post fortløpende This is no April Fool’s joke – today marks the start of the fjord season for Havila Voyages as Havila Castor visits the UNESCO World Heritage Site Geirangerfjord emission-free and silent is impressed by the commitment to research and collaboration to achieve climate goals in the maritime industry after attending the launch of the LNGameChanger project in Ålesund on Wednesday 26 March 2025 – A Norwegian consortium has teamed up to develop a new solution for decarbonizing maritime transport by capturing and storing CO2 from LNG-fuelled Solide Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) power trains and SINTEF hereby wish to invite the press to a digital press conference about the research project "LNGameChanger" which has the ambition to develop a new solution for decarbonized maritime fuel and propulsion systems including capturing and storing CO2 from LNG-powered ships Havila Voyages (Havila Kystruten AS) reported its fourth-quarter 2024 financial results on Thursday evening marking the third consecutive quarter with a positive operating result and continued revenue growth The company also significantly exceeds the Norwegian authorities' emission requirements for the coastal route I vårt presserom finner du alle våre siste pressemeldinger dokumenter og annen relevant informasjon om oss a Finnish marine offshore and inland water construction contractor is currently executing a small but demanding project in Sandnessjøen Wasa has mobilized combined dredging/blasting pontoon Hector two barges (Miika II and Dana II) and two tugboats The scope of work consists of dredging and disposing of 1.000m³ polluted masses careful blasting of approximately 10.000m³ solid bedrock in the harbor and dredging of approximately 25.000m³ of blasted rock The project also includes the following operations: The material used for this scheme is blasted bedrock with some smaller and larger graded material Wasa has just released a short video of the blasting operations executed in Sandnessjøen Daily news and in-depth stories in your inbox analysis and information contained herein (1) include the proprietary information of Euronext and its content providers (2) may not be copied or further disseminated except as specifically authorized by Euronext (4) are provided solely for informational purposes and (5) are not warranted to be complete Aker Solutions and Subsea 7 marked the start-up of production work on the first of three seabed installations (subsea manifolds) for the Skarv Satellite Project (SSP) in Aker Solutions’ workshop halls in Sandnessjøen The milestone was celebrated alongside a number of employees from operator Aker BP and partners in the Subsea Alliance (Aker Solutions and Subsea 7) and from the Modification Alliance (Aker BP and Aker Solutions) The Modification Alliance will be carrying out comprehensive modifications on the Skarv production vessel so it can receive production from the satellite developments.  The Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for the three Aker BP-operated developments was submitted to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy in December of last year The Skarv Satellite Project has high profitability and will secure an extended lifetime for the Skarv production vessel The project is also a direct response to the stimulus package adopted by the Storting (Norwegian parliament) three years ago promote competence and skills and further develop the industry during a period characterised by the pandemic record-low oil prices and a sharp decline in investments The event at Aker Solutions in Sandnessjøen on Tuesday means full steam ahead on construction of the large subsea structures for the satellite fields around Skarv The event was also a recognition of the good start for the Modification Alliance on the pre-fabrication work at Aker Solutions in Sandnessjøen and Mosjøen Significant parts of the engineering and construction work are also being carried out in the Helgeland region in Nordland County.  The Skarv Satellite Project (SSP) is by far the largest development in the Norwegian Sea in recent years Idun Nord and Ørn gas and condensate discoveries Each of the developments consists of a subsea template with four well slots and two wells which are tied back to the Skarv production vessel (FPSO) located in the northern part of the Norwegian Sea Total investments are estimated at nearly 17 billion 2022-kroner Recoverable resources in the three developments are around 120 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe) Production start is planned for the third quarter of 2027 Development of the three discoveries is coordinated by a unified project team in an effort to reduce costs through shared infrastructure and to extract synergies across the deliveries Aker BP is using the company’s alliance model in the implementation phase including the Subsea Alliance with Aker Solutions and Subsea 7 and the Modification Alliance with Aker Solutions Norwegian suppliers are expected to deliver around 60 per cent of the investments.  The huge subsea manifolds are visible examples of what’s being built at Aker Solutions’ yard in Sandnessjøen Another goal for the project is to use local subcontractors as much as possible The regional deliveries to the Skarv Satellite Project are also the result of long-term planning and the building of expertise in the area including the good deliveries to the recent Ærfugl project The Skarv Satellite Project is getting underway more than ten years after production started from the Skarv field Skarv has been a reliable supplier of oil and and is now producing around 22 million standard cubic metres of gas and around 25,000 barrels of condensate every single day Skarv has also generated significant values for the Norwegian society and for the partners not least the considerable ripple effects it has created along the entire Helgeland coast Development and production from the Skarv satellites is crucial for success Production from these three developments will have low CO2 emissions at around 4.5 kg per barrel they will account for around 60 per cent of Aker BP’s net production from the Skarv area for several years The SSP development is also paving the way for future developments in the area linked to new discoveries which can contribute to long-term high production from Skarv FPSO.  Aker BP is a company engaged in exploration field development and production of oil and gas on the Norwegian continental shelf The company operates the field centres Valhall and is a partner in the Johan Sverdrup field Aker BP is one of the largest independent oil companies in Europe Note: This story originally appeared as part of the winter 2023 edition of our Generations magazine, which was published in February. PERHAM — Traveling to a new country on your own is a daunting task even today. However, this would have been even more daunting without social media or the internet. In 1977, Norwegian high school student Leif Steinholt made the leap of choosing to become a foreign exchange student. Through AFS (American Field Service), Steinholt landed in Perham in August 1977 and became a Perham High School student until the end of the school year in 1978. Some 1970s Perham High School students may remember him as the classmate who played kazoo and guitar at the homecoming talent show. Others may remember him as the author of his own column in the school newspaper: “Leif’s Logic.” Though much time has passed since his year in Perham, and though he’s taken permanent residence back home in Norway, Steinholt still looks back fondly on his time in America. “It’s quite an experience for a young kid,” Steinholt recalled. “You’re sent out on your own, and you stay there a year. When I stayed in Perham, I only phoned my mother a couple of times.” Several years before he was an exchange student himself, an older cousin of his studied in Ohio. Seeing her do this inspired him, and he decided to apply to be an exchange student himself. He remembers filling out forms and completing interviews, explaining why he wanted to go and what he wanted to bring back. Though it was a long process, the idea was exciting and new, and he wanted to go. “When you wind up in the U.S., I mean, you can wind up in New York or Los Angeles or something more like Perham,” he shared. “I mean, it’s so different. I think when I went over, there were maybe hundreds of exchange students from Norway going at the same time on the same plane. People were going to all different kinds of places. Some people were going to big cities. I wound up in a pretty rural part of the country.” In a way, ending up in a rural area wasn’t dissimilar to what he was used to back home in Sandnessjøen, a town of about 6,000-7,000 people. In fact, the biggest change for him was in the culture. He had a different political ideology from a lot of the people around him — including the family he was staying with. He’s also never been a religious person, and he saw Perham as a really religious community. “But at the same time, they were very tolerant toward me,” he said, remembering the kindness he received when visiting the area almost 50 years ago. “I was different. I have another background. They respected that. And I respected them for their background and their thinking. One of the things I learned from staying there is that you can come from different countries, different backgrounds, have different ideas about things, but you basically have to respect and listen to them.” He was able to still share his thoughts and reflections with this slightly different cultural perspective through his school newspaper column. Something he shared, which wasn’t nearly as popular in the Perham area in the 1970s, was cross-country skiing. Hardly anyone in central Minnesota was skiing at the time, at least to Steinholt’s knowledge. Because of this, many people around him wanted to get to know all about the sport. In fact, he and a few of his friends from class were able to get a little innovative with those cross-country skis. One of these friends had a large cabin that they all went and visited in the winter. His friends brought along snowmobiles, so they attached Steinholt’s skis to the back of the vehicles. They zipped through the woods, pulling Steinholt on his skis behind them — much like water skiing, except on land. Though snowmobiling is popular in some areas of Norway, he shared, where he comes from, there isn’t a lot of snow. Because of this, messing around with his friends at a Minnesota cabin with fun, outdoor, winter activities is a true piece of Perham culture he got to experience while visiting. Eventually, the 1977-78 school year came to a close, and Steinholt finished his year as a Perham High School Yellowjacket. When he got back to Norway, he finished his final year of high school and then joined the army for his compulsory service. Afterward, he stayed five years in Tromsø and then over a decade in Oslo, where he studied journalism and worked for two different national newspapers. Eventually, he returned to his hometown of Sandnessjøen, and he’s been there ever since. He believes his time in Perham led him to become the open-minded person that he is today. He’s able to see multiple perspectives, which definitely helps as a journalist. “(It helped) to reflect on differences and to accept that people are different,” Steinholt explained. “You don’t have to agree with them on everything, and you can still say ‘I disagree,’ and this doesn’t mean that you look down on them.” Though almost 50 years have passed, the community of Perham continues to have an impact on Steinholt from across the world. (P&GJ) — Ramco Norway, a specialist in the preparation, inspection, surface treatment, and preservation of oil country tubular goods (OCTG), has secured a long-term contract with Equinor worth 120 million NOK annually. This contract ensures stable employment and strategic growth opportunities, according to CEO Arild Moe, from the company's headquarters in Florø, Norway. Ramco Norway will handle 80% of Equinor's oil and gas pipes running from Fjord Base in Florø to the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). Additionally, the company has been allocated 100% of the volume from Sandnessjøen and Hammerfest. This expansion includes establishing a new department at Polarbase in Hammerfest, a supply base for oil and gas activities in the Barents Sea. Moe highlighted the strategic importance of being close to the Barents Sea, where significant growth is expected. With its headquarters in Florø and operating bases in Stavanger, Sandnessjøen, and soon in Hammerfest, Ramco provides services to major operators and pipe manufacturers. The company has been preparing pipes for offshore operations for over 25 years. This new contract guarantees work for the next five years, with an option for two additional two-year extensions, potentially extending until 2033. This is crucial for Ramco and its 110 employees, as well as the local communities where it operates. This marks the third long-term contract Ramco has secured with Equinor since their first agreement in 2008, reflecting the high quality of Ramco's work. Thanks for submitting a comment! One of our administrators will review your comment before posting it onto the website. Johan Castberg, Polarled, Aasta Hansteen, Snefrid Nord, Askeladd and the exploration campaign in the Barents Sea; multi-billion investments are lined up. This creates spin-offs. Thanks to the contract for ten Johan Castberg subsea templates Aker Solutions Sandnessjøen will increase its workforce from 20 to 50 over the next two years. Celebrations at Sandnessjøen when the news broke that Aker Solutions’ northernmost plant will deliver the ten subsea templates for the Johan Castberg field on 5 March. They will connect a total of 30 wells on the oil field in the Barents Sea. Six of the subsea templates will be delivered in 2019, and four in 2020. Site manager Annbjørg Skjerve at Aker Solutions in Sandnessjøen is all smiles: “The assignment allows us to develop our own skills and knowledge, while boosting the development of the local supply industry. The contract will thus have ripple effects both locally and regionally,” she says. Two years ago, the yard at Strendene was on the brink of closing down due to low activity. Thanks to assignments from Aker BP and the Skarv field it could keep going with just six employees. Aker Solutions Sandnessjøen then won the contract for building the subsea template and suction anchor for Snefrid Nord, a gas discovery twelve kilometres from the Aasta Hansteen field in the north of the Norwegian Sea, which is scheduled to come on stream in the fourth quarter of 2019. The assignment, which generated employment for 20 employees, is due to be completed in April. Apprentices and local manpower Months later it became clear that the factory, a sub-supplier of Kværner, will deliver a 300-tonne flare boom and topside modules totalling 170 tonnes for the Johan Castberg floating production, storage and offloading unit (FPSO). Thanks to the new contract for the ten Johan Castberg subsea templates Skjerve can now increase the staff from 20 to 50 permanent employees and contractors. Skjerve also hopes to take on apprentices. “This is very positive. We will be looking for the right technical skills and expertise both locally and regionally, and are also considering the possibility of sub-contracting parts of the work to other companies in the region,” Skjerve says. Spin-off milestone Kjell Giæver, managing director of the supplier network for petroleum activities in the North, Petro Arctic, describes the contract awarded to Aker Solutions Sandnessjøen as one of the biggest industrial contracts to Northern Norway from the oil industry ever. He thinks it represents a spin-off milestone. “This will generate employment and add value at Helgeland for many years to come,” he says. After an annual growth of between 10 and 20 percent in the period 2010 to 2015, also suppliers in the North were hit by the oil price decline and empty order books in 2016 and 2017. According to Giæver sales dropped from slightly less than NOK 6 billion per year in the peak period, to around NOK 3.5 billion. At the same time 2,000 to 3,000 full-time jobs disappeared. Believes in golden age He, however, has great faith in the future. According to Petro Arctics’ forecasts the activity will now return to the pre-price drop level. The goal, however, is further growth and a turnover of NOK 10 billion per year from 2025. “The last contract awards support this scenario,” says Giæver. In order to put this goal into perspective: In the period 2010 to 2016 the supply industry in Northern Norway delivered NOK 29.8 billion worth of goods and services to the oil and gas industry, according to a report published by Kunnskapsparken Bodø (Body Science Park). “Apart from the Snøhvit development, suppliers in Northern Norway have seen few industrial spin-offs from the development phase in the North until Aasta Hansteen. The contract strategy chosen by Statoil here, however, represents a break-through which is now progressed for Johan Castberg,” Giæver says. He is also pleased that Statoil chooses to run the field in the North from Northern Norway. This creates lasting spin-offs, he maintains. “Statoil has always been good at this. The decision to operate Johan Castberg from the North has great, noticeable effects,” Giæver says. Backbone in the North Statoil submitted the plan for the development and operation of the Johan Castberg field on behalf of the partners in December 2017. Located some 100 kilometres north of the Snøhvit field in the Barents Sea, the Johan Castberg field will be a backbone for the further development of the oil and gas industry in Northern Norway. Capital expenditures estimated at some NOK 1.15 billion per year, the operations will be run from Hammerfest supply and helicopter base and the Harstad operations organisation. Nationally this represents 1,700 man-years, 500 of which will be located in Northern Norway. This includes both direct and indirect effects. In April the spar platform Aasta Hansteen will start the last leg of the journey towards the Norwegian Sea, where she will be moored on the field - 300 kilometres west of Bodø. Here she opens a new gas province. The gas will be delivered to Nyhamna and from there to Europe through the 480-kilometre Polarled pipeline. A report issued by Kunnskapsparken Bodø, Nord Universitet and Petro Arctic estimates the total spin-offs of the Aasta Hansteen and Polarled construction in Nordland and Sør-Troms counties at almost NOK 1.3 billion in the period 2013 to 2018. Almost NOK one billion of these spin-off effects benefit Helgeland. According to Statoil’s senior vice president for project development, Torger Rød, Askeladd will extend the plateau production at the Hammerfest LNG plant until 2023 and is a profitable investment that generates jobs and spin-offs in the region. In January, on behalf of the Snøhvit partners, Statoil awarded the EPC contract for the delivery of the Askeladd subsea production system to Aker Solutions. Statoil has also applied for extended technical life for Norne FPSO, and the associated Norne, Urd and Skuld facilities, from 31 December 2021 to 31 December 2036. The field in the Norwegian Sea, which is operated from Harstad, was put on stream in 1997. Originally scheduled to be shut down in 2014, the new plans for Norne more than double the initially assumed productive life. Want to have Northern Norway suppliers on the team “Based on the projects currently being worked on, we have ensured a high activity in the North until 2050, and beyond. In addition, there is a considerable upside potential in the development of more discoveries and any new discoveries,” says Ørjan Birkeland, project manager for the Northern Area project at Statoil. Last year Statoil drilled five exploration wells in the Barents Sea. This year up to five more wells are planned. Both exploration and production drilling generates considerable activity at the supply bases. One of Birkeland’s main tasks is driving supplier development, ensuring maximum spin-offs from the activity in Northern Norway, of course based on competitiveness and quality. Statoil is therefore actively involved in efforts aimed at qualifying Northern Norway industry as suppliers, either directly towards Statoil, or as sub-suppliers of some of the big contractor companies. Since the start-up in 2008 some 300 companies have completed all or parts of the Supplier Development in Northern Norway programme, organised by Statoil together with Innovasjon Norge. Industrial coordinator also in Hammerfest Statoil has also actively worked to simplify the contract structure, enabling smaller companies to submit bids. Statoil will also have industrial coordinators as contacts to the local industry. From 1 March 2018 the company had a coordinator in Harstad. Now an industrial coordinator has been appointed in Hammerfest as well. “Statoil aims to involve good suppliers in the North, thus increasing the local ripple effects,” Birkeland says. Want to see increased collaboration In Sandnessjøen Skjerve stresses the importance of creating a stable activity and building competencies and experience for the future. She also hopes that suppliers in the North can develop the same type of mutual confidence and teamwork as oil communities like Rogaland and Hordaland. She is now looking forward to June, the start-up of work on the ten Johan Castberg subsea templates. 18 January 202307:30(UTC)Last modified23 January 202311:29The Aasta Hansteen platform in the Norwegian Sea.(Photo: Woldcam / Equinor)Equinor and partners Wintershall Dea and Petoro have made a commercial gas discovery in production licence 1128 estimated at between two and eleven billion standard cubic metres of recoverable gas, or about 12.6-69.2 million barrels of oil equivalent. Exploration wells 6605/1-2 S&A in the Norwegian Sea were drilled by the Deepsea Stavanger drilling rig. The Obelix Upflank discovery was made some 23 kilometres south of the Irpa gas discovery, and 350 kilometres west of Sandnessjøen. This is the first discovery made on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) in 2023, and the first wells in the Equinor-operated production licence awarded in the APA award in 2020. “We need to find more gas on the NCS. Discoveries near existing infrastructure requires less volume in order to be commercially developed, and can be quickly put on stream with low CO2 emissions. We will together with our partners consider tie-back of this discovery to Irpa, for which we recently submitted a plan for development and operation,” says Grete B. Haaland, Equinor’s senior vice president for Exploration and Production North. Irpa is a subsea development that will be tied back to the Aastad Hansteen platform. Irpa will extend the life of Aasta Hansteen by seven years, and contribute to more activity at the supply base in Sandnessjøen, for the helicopter base in Brønnøysund, and for the operations organisation in Harstad. Partners: Equinor 70 %, Petoro 20% and Wintershall Dea 10%. Equinor Brasil Energia Ltda., a subsidiary of Equinor ASA, has entered into agreements(1) with Brazilian company Prio Tigris Ltda., a subsidiary of PRIO SA (PRIO3.SA) for a sale of its 60% operated interest in the Peregrino field in Brazil. 30 April 2025 Equinor delivered adjusted operating income* of USD 8.65 billion and USD 2.25 billion after tax in the first quarter of 2025. Equinor reported net operating income of USD 8.87 billion and net income at USD 2.63 billion. Adjusted net income* was USD 1.79 billion, leading to adjusted earnings per share* of USD 0.66. 30 April 2025 Equinor (OSE: EQNR, NYSE: EQNR) will after the annual general meeting 14 May 2025 commence the second tranche of up to USD 1,265 million of the share buy-back programme for 2025, as announced in relation with the first quarter results 30 April 2025. © 2025 Euronext N.V. All Rights Reserved. The information, data, analysis and information contained herein (1) include the proprietary information of Euronext and its content providers, (2) may not be copied or further disseminated, by and media whatsoever, except as specifically authorized by Euronext, (3) do not constitute investment advice, (4) are provided solely for informational purposes and (5) are not warranted to be complete, accurate or timely. The Ærfugl project is one of the most profitable developments on the Norwegian shelf with a break-even price of less than USD 15 per barrel. The Ærfugl reservoir (formerly called Snadd) was discovered in 2000 and is located just west of Skarv, Aker BP’s northernmost producing field in the Norwegian Sea. 300 million barrelsThe Ærfugl development is a major subsea project in two phases. Both phases are tied into the existing production vessel (FPSO) on the Skarv field, which is located approximately 210 km west of Sandnessjøen. Production started from Ærfugl phase 1 in the Norwegian Sea on the 12 November 2020. This was on the same date as promised in the PDO to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy submitted three years earlier, and the project was delivered onbudget. The remaining wells for phase 2 came on stream in November 2021. Aker BP also plans to tie-in future developments in the area, and the project includes measures to facilitate this. The reservoir holds a total of around 300 million barrels of producible oil equivalent, which will extend the lifetime of the Skarv field. New technologyThe reservoir is located 2,800 meters below the seabed. There is gas in the reservoir, but some oil will also precipitate when it is produced up to atmospheric pressure. This is why the gas producers on Ærfugl are also the largest oil producers at Skarv. Six horizontal gas wells are tied back to the Skarv FPSO. The field consists of subsea installations and is enabled by two new technologies in particular: Improvement through alliancesReorganisation of the value chain through strategic partnerships and alliances is an important part of Aker BP’s strategy. The alliances have not only been delivering on cost and schedule, despite the “black swan” related to the challenges of Covid-19; they have also achieved major improvements since the PDO was approved, including significantly accelerated phase 2, from 2023 to 2021, and improved financials. As many as three alliances are key to the development of the Ærfugl project: • The Subsea Alliance between Aker BP, Subsea 7 and Aker Solutions • The Semi-submersible Rigs Alliance between Aker BP and Odfjell Drilling and Halliburton • The Modification Alliance between Aker BP and Aker Solutions The Ærfugl field produces via the Skarv FPSO approximately 210 kilometres west of Sandnessjøen. CompetenceA digital twin of the entire field has been created in collaboration with Cognite, and this is a foundation for a smarter future. The project has used the digital twin to optimise plans and operations. The project has resulted in a new control room with a simulator for testing new logistics and training of operating personnel. The simulator covers the entire Skarv and Ærfugl operation and supports the complex operations where the two fields are connected. Reduced emissions and ripple effectsEnergy efficiency and reductions in discharges to sea and emissions to air are important at Aker BP. With the Ærfugl field in production, CO2 emissions per barrel produced from Skarv FPSO will be reduced by as much as 30-40 percent. The Ærfugl project has brought significant ripple effects for local suppliers in the Helgeland region. Submitted in December 2017 and approved in 2018 Approx. 300 million barrels of oil equivalents 60 km long, 3 km wide, and average thickness of 30 meters Depth: 2800 m below the seabed. Pressure: 300-350 bar Temperature: approx. 100 degrees C. Aker BP is a company engaged in exploration, field development and production of oil and gas on the Norwegian continental shelf. The company operates the field centres Valhall, Ula, Edvard Grieg/Ivar Aasen, Alvheim and Skarv, and is a partner in the Johan Sverdrup field. Measured in production, Aker BP is one of the largest independent oil companies in Europe. 2023The next two large offshore development projects to be built on the Norwegian Continental Shelf —Yggdrasil and Valhall PWP-Fenris — entered the construction phase today.  The milestone was celebrated by cutting the very first steel plates for Hugin A and Valhall PWP at Aker Solutions’ Stord yard.  “These projects contribute high value creation and extensive ripple effects across the entire industry Aker Solutions will have recruited more than 2,000 new colleagues in Norway in addition to 100 new apprentices every year Aker Solutions and alliance partners on 16 December 2022 signed contracts with Aker BP worth a total value for Aker Solutions of close to NOK 50 billion which was the company’s highest ever quarterly order intake.  A large part of the scope is four new offshore platforms including steel jackets The two largest — Hugin A and Valhall PWP — will be assembled and delivered from Aker Solutions yard at Stord The work will be done together with Aker BP Siemens Energy and ABB in the fixed alliance facilities Cutting the first steel plates for Hugin A and Valhall PWP marked an important milestone for these major projects Aker BP’s project director for Hugin A and project director for Valhall PWP-Fenris had the honor of pressing the start button under supervision of Aker Solutions apprentices Denise Åkerøy and Tor Litlabø.  “This day is important not only for Aker BP After years of engineering and preparations we are now entering the construction phase These projects will involve hundreds of suppliers and provide large ripple effects in the form of revenue and jobs in local communities throughout large parts of Norway” Hugin A is a part of the Yggdrasil development and consists of a 28-tonne production platform and a 20,500 tonne steel jacket that will be delivered from Aker Solutions yard in Verdal Aker Solutions’ yards in Egersund and Sandnessjøen will build modules while Leirvik AS will deliver the living quarters Hugin A will be the largest topside ever assembled in the Stord yard area.  Valhall PWP is a 16,000-tonne production platform for the Valhall field that will be assembled at Stord The 9,500 tonne steel jacket will be delivered from Verdal Worley Rosenberg and Nymo in Arendal will contribute to the construction work.  The field developments also include the two unmanned platforms Hugin B and Fenris while Aibel deliver the topside for Munin.  Aker Solutions also has considerable subsea and modification deliveries to the Yggdrasil and Valhall PWP-Fenris fields.  The projects provide activities and revenue that are important for the further development of the industry in the years to come The majority of Aker Solutions 9,000 employees at the company’s 14 Norwegian locations will work on the execution of these and other projects that have come as a result of a stimulus program adopted by the Norwegian parliament in 2020.  “In the transition to an industrial future of more renewable energy projects these large installations give Aker Solutions the opportunity to plan long-term Through a series of upgrades of our yards and facilities extensive competence-building measures and considerable investments in digitalization we improve our efficiency in the execution of these projects and strengthen our competitiveness as we gradually increase our activity aimed at renewable energy markets Including the knock-on effects to suppliers and surrounding communities Aker Solutions’ enterprise in the area contributes to thousands of jobs Projects won by Aker Solutions as a result of the stimulus package will allow for the recruitment of more than 2,000 new colleagues in Norway The next two large offshore development projects to be built on the Norwegian Continental Shelf —Yggdrasil and Valhall PWP-Fenris — entered the construction phase today.  “Aasta Hansteen is a pioneer! Located in 1 300 metres of water, this is the deepest field development on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS), the largest spar platform in the world, and a first on the NCS. The field now coming on stream is unique,” says Anders Opedal Equinor’s executive vice president for Technology  Aasta Hansteen is located 300 kilometres west of Sandnessjøen far from other fields and in an area with harsh weather conditions The field has been named after another pioneer: Feminist The field development concept consists of a floating platform with a vertical cylindrical substructure moored to the seabed (spar platform) When the platform was towed to the field in April it was the biggest tow on the NCS since Troll A in 1995 The gas is produced from seven wells in three subsea templates This is the deepest ever installation of subsea equipment on the NCS “Aasta Hansteen has been a complex and challenging development project requiring us to take new technological steps together with our partners Wintershall OMV and ConocoPhillips as well as the suppliers,” says Opedal Both Aasta Hansteen and the 482-kilometre pipeline from the field to Nyhamna has the capacity to accommodate new discoveries.  The first one and will come on stream towards the end of 2019 The recoverable resources at Aasta Hansteen are estimated at 55.6 billion standard cubic-metres (Sm3) of gas and 0.6 million Sm3 of condensate (353 million barrels of oil equivalent)  “The production from the Aasta Hansteen field will help secure long-term Norwegian gas export. With the infrastructure installed it will also be more attractive to explore around the platform and along the pipeline. This enables us to secure activity for many decades, in line with our ambitions for the NCS,” says Arne Sigve Nylund Equinor’s executive vice president for Development and Production Norway.  The exploration activity in the area around the field has already increased  Although the substructure and topside structure were built in South Korea Aasta Hansteen has generated big spin-offs for Norwegian supply industry More than half of the topside equipment packages were produced in Norway and the subsea equipment is also Norwegian The subsea templates were built in Sandnessjøen and the suction anchors keeping the gigantic platform in place are produced in Mo i Rana The platform was hooked up at Stord south of Bergen which is also where much of the hook up and commissioning work was performed  “In the operations phase the field will be operated from Harstad base services will be delivered from Sandnessjøen and the helicopter traffic will go from Brønnøysund  “In the project phase Aasta Hansteen and Polarled have generated spin-offs for slightly more than NOK 16 billion in Norway NOK 1.3 billion of which has benefitted companies in Nordland and southern Troms and there will be more in the years to come operating the field” Some 32 million man-hours have been put into the Aasta Hansteen project which has cost about NOK 37.5 billion (2018 value) The NOK 2.9 billion increase since the submission of the plan for development and production (PDO) is due to the currency effect due to the weak NOK This is within the uncertainty range assumed in the cost estimate for the PDO * You will find downloadable portrait photos via the links in the text above Whenever Aker BP is required to upgrade equipment the company aims to reuse or recycle the items being replaced This has benefited the local communities in the Helgeland region Aker BP’s office in Sandnessjøen has existed since the early 2000s due to the development and operation of the oil and gas field Skarv During that time the company has tried to be a positive part of the local community by supporting schools and education stimulating local businesses and creating positive ripple effects Aker BP donates items the company no lon-ger has use for to communities on the Helgeland coast more than 60 PCs were given to schools in the area and 337 TVs were distributed to 20 recipients including schools charitable organisations and nursing homes When the municipal health service and Helgeland Hospital in Sandnessjøen experienced equipment shor-tages during the COVID-19 pandemic Aker BP donated infection control equipment which was a welcomed gift during difficult times 20 organisations and 5 vocational schools received more than 3,000 coveralls because Aker BP needed to reduce its stock Aker BP donated 3,000 meters of fire hoses to Ytre Helgeland Fire and Rescue they are a maximum of 10 years old and have never been used The hoses must be re-classified for offshore use every 10 years Aker BP therefore decided to replace them and donate the old stock Aker BP has even found a new use for old drill pipes from the Skarv field They have been given a new life at various volunteer organisations long-lasting structures for leisure and outdoor purposes The contract covers services including logistics waste and helicopter coordination in Tananger ASCO has secured a five-year contract worth $87.6m (£70m) to provide base and logistics services to Aker BP in Norway until 2030 The contract encompasses services including warehouse management and personnel leasing for logistics and helicopter coordination in Tananger The renewal of this contract ensures job security at ASCO’s bases and offers stability and predictability for the future ASCO Norge AS commercial director Øyvind Salte said: “Aker BP’s continued choice of ASCO for their base and logistics services is extremely important to us We look forward to further developing as a company and continuing our proud partnership with Aker BP streamline and digitalise all aspects of its services.” Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis The collaboration between these entities has been pivotal in delivering logistics solutions in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea Aker BP logistics manager Vegard Olsen said: “The partnership with ASCO is crucial to maintaining continuity in our offshore operations In December 2024, Aker Solutions won a two-year extension from Aker BP for maintenance work across multiple offshore Norway field centres including the Valhall and Hod Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network STORD, Norway – First steel has been cut for two more Aker BP developments in the Norwegian North Sea. Aker Solutions’ yard will construct the topsides for the new production platform for the Valhall development and the Hugin A production and living quarters platform in the Yggdrasil area ABB and Siemens Energy as part of the Fixed Facilities Alliance Verdal and Sandnessjøen will also support the two projects Valhall PWP-Fenris is a joint development in the southern part of the North Sea; Pandion Energy is the partner in Valhall and PGNiG Upstream Norway in Fenris Aker BP has commissioned a new centrally located production and wellhead platform bridge-linked to the Valhall Field center and an unmanned installation at Fenris connected via pipeline to Valhall The new facilities will use Valhall’s existing power from shore system The company expects to recover an additional 230 MMboe and ensure a lifetime extension for Valhall post-2028 Valhall PWP is a 16,000-metric-ton production platform for the Valhall Field that will be assembled at Stord with the 9,500-mt steel jacket to be fabricated by Aker Solutions in Verdal Worley Rosenberg and Nymo in Arendal will contribute to the construction work is between the Alvheim and Oseberg field centers with combined resources of more than 700 MMboe Aker BP’s partners in the area are Equinor and PGNiG Upstream Norway The project involves construction of three platforms with the entire Yggdrasil area remotely operated from an integrated operations center/control room onshore in Stavanger Hugin A’s 28,000-metric-ton production platform the largest topsides ever built in the Stord area will be supported by a 20,500-mt steel jacket to be delivered from Aker Solutions yard in Verdal Aker Solutions’ yards in Egersund and Sandnessjøen will build modules while Leirvik will supply the living quarters Construction of the Hugin B and Fenris unmanned platforms will take place at Verdal while Aibel will supply the topside for Munin 09.05.2023 Equinor Energy AS (36,2%),Wintershall Dea Norge AS (28,1%),Aker BP ASA (23,8% operatør),PGNiG Upstream Norway AS (11,9%) Operator Aker BP and the partners in Skarv (Equinor Wintershall Dea and PGNiG) report that production has started from Gråsel in the Skarv area four months ahead of the original schedule “I’m incredibly proud of the project team and our licence partners: Only six months have passed since the joint venture approved the investment decision to develop Gråsel This must be one of the fastest project implementations ever on the Norwegian shelf,” says Aker BP CEO we have once again completed a profitable project safely efficiently and within budget – and on top of all that – much faster than planned when the project started,” Hersvik adds The Gråsel reservoir is situated over the Skarv reservoir in the Norwegian Sea The reservoir contains around 13 million barrels of oil equivalent The oil and gas are produced by utilising available capacity on the Skarv production vessel (FPSO) Total investment costs for the Gråsel project are around NOK 1.2 billion The development solution is based on re-use of existing infrastructure That has helped make Gråsel an extremely robust project and with a break-even price of around 15 dollars per barrel The development consists of a new producer drilled from an existing well slot on the Skarv field with pressure support from a shared injector for Gråsel and Tilje.  “The stimulus package adopted by the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) last June which entails more rapid tax depreciations contributed to make the project even more robust and has accelerated the timeline,” Dolve adds Aker BP’s objective is to produce oil and gas in the most cost-effective way possible so as to maximise value creation for our owners partners and the greater society – with the lowest possible impact on the climate “The Gråsel project is a superb example of this The successful early-phase work and the safe and efficient project implementation in cooperation with our alliances is a model for future developments of minor discoveries,” says Dolve Everyone who has been involved in the project and who has worked either from home offices around the country or who have been offshore with responsibility for drilling operations seabed completion or preparation of the Skarv FPSO The record-fast implementation can be credited to good fortune with early access to a drilling rig – and an agile project team using the opportunities that arose: there was some uncertainty with regard to when we would have access to a drilling rig When the pieces started to fall into place the Deepsea Stavanger rig was ready and waiting for us as early as April Then all we had to do was get to work,” says Nygård “The drilling campaign was carried out safely and efficiently which helped to put us well ahead of the plan It was also the first time in Aker BP history that a well intervention vessel was used to temporarily plug the injection well This led to substantial cost reductions by reducing rig time,” says Nygård Production from Skarv has been shut down for 25 days in May and June due to a major planned turnaround (TAR) After planned maintenance and modifications were completed production was first resumed from the Skarv and Ærfugl Phase 1 fields – before Gråsel was put on stream Nygård emphasises that the project has still not crossed the finish line “We still have the final stretch with the injection well which is necessary to maintain pressure in the Gråsel reservoir this work will require rig time on the field and the plan is to do this during the third quarter.” commitment and ability to solve challenges along the way This has enabled us to reach our goal and receive the first oil from Gråsel ahead of plan and below budget Increased production and extended lifetime “Production start-up from Gråsel is a new and important milestone in this growth strategy the goal is to also bring Phase 2 of the Ærfugl development on stream,” says Bjørn “Start-up for Ærfugl and Gråsel will take Skarv back to a plateau production of over 170,000 bbls per day the production increase will contribute to a reduction in CO2 emissions per produced barrel from Skarv FPSO of as much as 30 per cent from 2022 and the Skarv lifetime will be extended by five years,” according to Bjørn A key part of the recently completed turnaround on the Skarv vessel was an upgrade of production capacity in the gas facility This also means a further increase in capacity to accept production from other discoveries in the area “We’re maturing several development projects with the objective of making investment decisions by the end of 2022 The ambition is to phase in production from these developments over the next four-to-five years Alve Nord and Ørn discoveries are included in our ‘Skarv Satellite project’,” says Bjørn “We also have significant exploration ambitions in the Skarv area and we’re working on a major exploration campaign including both operated and non-operated wells in 2022 STAVANGER, Norway – Production has started from the Aasta Hansteen gas field in the Norwegian Sea with exports also flowing for the first time through the new Polarled pipeline to Nyhamna this is the deepest offshore Norway to date and involved construction of the country’s first spar platform which is also the world’s largest It is 339 m (1,112 ft) tall and weighs 70,000 metric tons (77,162 tons) and the tow to the field this April was the largest-such operation on the Norwegian shelf since Troll A in 1995 Gas is produced from seven wells connected to three subsea templates and the platform and the 482-km (299-mi) Polarled both have the capacity to accommodate new discoveries in the area and will come onstream toward the end of 2019 Equinor estimates recoverable resources atAasta Hansteen at 55.6 bcm of gas and 0.6 MMcm of condensate “The production from theAasta Hansteen field will help secure long-term Norwegian gas export,” said Arne Sigve Nylund executive vice president for Development and Production Norway “With the infrastructure installed it will also be more attractive to explore around the platform and along the pipeline This enables us to secure activity for many decades The subsea templates were built in Sandnessjøen and the suction anchors for the platform in Mo i Rana with base services delivered from Sandnessjøen and helicopter services from Brønnøysund Equinor estimated the overall project cost at around NOK37.5 billion ($4.35 billion) in 2018 terms NOK2.9 billion ($337 million) higher than the figure cited in the original development plan The increase is said to be due to weak kroner the first offshore pipeline to cross the Arctic Circle terminates at the Nyhamna plant where the rich gas undergoes processing with dry gas forwarded to the UK and continental Europe through Norway’s integrated transport system To accommodate supplies from Aasta Hansteen and future discoveries in the Norwegian Sea with a transport capacity of around 70 MMcm/d The route of the fourth edition of the Arctic Race of Norway was unveiled in January The race begins further south than in recent years with the race straddling either side of the Arctic Circle and is set to take place in August The organisers hope that the route will provide opportunities for both sprinters and puncheurs "This 4th edition of the Arctic Race of Norway promises to be balanced and exciting All types of riders will have good opportunities with at least two sprint finishes and stage 3 as Queen Stage," race ambassador and winner of the first edition Thor Hushovd said of the route "I can hardly tell which rider is going to be the race leader at the end of every stage and I am curious to see to what extent can the likes of Alexander Kristoff be fighting for the overall victory" stage 2: Mo I Rana – Sandnessjøen stage 4: Arctic Circle (Rana Kommune) – Bodø 2015 Arctic Race of Norway final general classification #Rider Name (Country) TeamResult1Rein Taaramae (Est) Astana Pro Team16:42:022Silvan Dillier (Swi) BMC Racing Team0:00:083Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Team Katusha0:00:314Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) MTN - Qhubeka0:01:025Mathias Frank (Swi) IAM Cycling0:01:046Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Team Joker0:01:177Rasmus Guldhammer (Den) Cult Energy Pro Cycling0:01:198Anthony Turgis (Fra) Cofidis Solutions Credits0:01:319Ben Hermans (Bel) BMC Racing Team0:01:3310Marcel Wyss (Swi) IAM CyclingRow 9 - Cell 2   published an assay for Skarv Blend crude oil based on a sample taken Apr BP Norge AS began production from Skarv oil and gas field on Dec and Tilje) in 350-450 m of water on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and offloading (FPSO) vessel that produces medium 43.3° gravity low-sulfur (0.205 wt %) oil and rich gas from 15 operating production and injection wells drilled through five subsea templates With an oil storage capacity of 875,000 b/d and oil and gas production capacities of 85,000 b/d and 22 million cu m/day respectively the Skarv FPSO currently produces about 55,000 b/d of oil and 13.4 million cu m/day of gas liquids Skarv had an estimated ultimate recovery of around 100 million bbl of oil and condensate and more than 1.5 tcf (42.5 billion cu m) of rich gas upon its discovery in 1998 and by yearend 2015 had exported about 55 million bbl of oil and 406 bcf of gas since startup operates and holds a 23.84% interest in Skarv Other interests are held by Statoil ASA 36.16% Aker BP is considering using tie-ins to the Skarv FPSO to further develop its nearby Snadd North discovery which holds about 200 MMboe of recoverable gas a plan for development and production of the Snadd North concept will be ready by yearend 2017 API gravity at 60/60° F.: 43.3 Density at 15° C. °C.: -51.5 Cetane index (ASTM D4737-90): 44.2 Refractive index at 70° C.: 1.4296 °C.: -11.0 Cetane index (ASTM D4737-90): 53.0 Refractive index at 70° C.: 1.4509 Wax °C.: 14 Cetane index (ASTM D4737-90): 63.8 Refractive index at 70° C.: 1.4644 Aniline point °C.: 33 Refractive index at 70° C.: 1.4781 Aniline point cst: 26.410 Refractive index at 70° C.: 1.4978 Aniline point Grasel oil field is located within the Skarv area above the Skarv reservoir approximately 210km offshore Sandnessjøen on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) in North Sea The oil field is co-owned by the operator Aker BP with Equinor The concept development of the Grasel project was started in May 2019 while the final investment decision for the field development was made in December 2020 The development will require an estimated investment of $139.5m (NOK1.2bn) First oil from the field is expected in the fourth quarter of 2021 The 2km-wide Grasel reservoir stretches over 7km holding an estimated hydrocarbon reserves of 13 million metric barrels of oil-equivalent (Mmboe) The Grasel field and the producing Skarv and Aerfugl fields are situated within the same licence unit Grasel oil field was discovered by the 6507/5-1 discovery well in 1998 The discovery contains approximately 9m-thick oil-bearing Lower Cretaceous Lange sandstones present beneath the 6507/5-1 Skarv discovery The Grasel oil field development will utilise the existing infrastructure on the Skarv field A new producer well will be drilled from the well slot and an injection support will be developed from a joint injector of the existing Skarv field facility for the Grasel and Tilje fields development The wells will be tied-back to the existing floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel on the Skarv field The Grasel field will extend the life of the Skarv floating production Skarv FPSO is a highly advanced vessel purpose-built for challenging climatic conditions The 295m-long and 51m-wide FPSO has a production capacity of 85,000bpd of oil and 19 million m3/d of natural gas and a storage capacity of 875,000 barrels and 100 single-bed cabins for accommodation The topsides and hull of the FPSO weigh 18,000t and 49,000t The vessel has a field production life of 25 years The Skarv area is co-owned by Equinor (36.165%), Wintershall Dea (28.0825%), Aker BP (28.835%) and PGNiG (11.9175%). Four discoveries have been made in the area, namely Skarv, Grasel, Idun and Aerfugl. The area currently has two producing fields, Skarv field and Aerfugl field both operated by Aker BP and tied-back to the Skarv FPSO The net proven reserves of the Skarv area are estimated to be approximately 100Mmboe Equinor drilled the Ørn exploration well in the area to discover one of the biggest gas discoveries on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) was found to hold twice the estimated volumes of reserves The area is being developed to increase production substantially by 2045 A new electric motor was installed for gas injection compressor on the Skarv FPSO in March 2019 while the New Vagar exploration well was drilled in August 2019 Subsea structures and production equipment were installed in the Aerfugl field in September 2019 while first production well on the field was drilled in October 2019 the partners decided to execute phase two of the Aerfugl project Phase one of the Aerfugl field came onstream in November 2020 while production from phase two of the Aerfugl field will begin in 2021 Norway has already delivered goods and services worth nearly 1 billion NOK to Polarled and Aasta Hansteen Managing Director of the Petro Arctic interest organization this figure exceeds the expectations of both Statoil and the Norwegian authorities - Our members have delivered both large and smaller high-quality constructions at the right time to the right price Statoil and Aker Solutions have this week marked the beginning of the work on Aasta Hansteen’s first underwater satellite The Transocean Spitsbergen oilrig will come north next month to commence production drilling at Aasta Hansteen a field located about 30 metric miles to the west of Bodø The rig is presently being prepared at Ølen on the Norwegian west coast and is soon to journey northwards bulk and equipment will be loaded onboard before the rig is to drill eight wells at Aasta Hansteen The operators are currently considering drilling another four wells in the area to explore for more gas that can be connected to the Aasta Hansteen field A new bottom frame is to be constructed at Aker’s workshop in Sandnessjøen Aker Solutions also got its subsea workshop up and running this week and they expect to have more people at work in Sandnessjøen more or less continually through the drilling phase at Aasta Hansteen Oss-Nor has installed a new pipe wrench/screwdriver and through that saved the project costs and delays following some unexpected challenges earlier this week - Problems can now be solved on the spot and we can avoid time-consuming and costly transport to other locations around the country Local services also leads to significantly smaller emissions and less HES risks the Director says and adds that there is already a lot of equipment in the subsea workshop that would not have been in Sandnessjøen were it not for these tools - This is the first construction that is wholly and fully mobilized from Helgeland says Project Manager Torolf Christensen of Statoil and Gassco will soon take over the ownership of the gas pipeline and the reception facilities at Nyhamna on the coast of Møre in northwestern Norway The platform is scheduled to be towed to the field during the second quarter of 2018 The journey is expected to take approximately ten days The deadline for departure is set at around 15 July as that allows sufficient time for installing and securing the platform before autumn kicks in When the platform is installed it will be anchored – and be “storm proof” – when a total of nine towlines are connected in the so-called suction anchor Aasta Hansteen is expected to last for about 10 years The Snefrid Nord construction will prolong the plateau production phase with nine to twelve months That leaves Statoil more time to discover and build out more resources - With Aasta Hansteen in operation next year Northern Norway assumes a new and historic position in Europe Nordland will then be a key supplier of gas to Great Britain The Aasta Hansteen deposit lies in the Norwegian Sea at some 1,300 meters’ depth in the Vøring area The deposit was discovered in 1997 and covers three separate discoveries; Luva Total exploitable resources are estimated at 47 billion Sm3 of gas The gas field is to be developed with a Spar FPSO platform which will be the first of its kind on the Norwegian shelf and the biggest one in the world Spar is a floating installation consisting of a vertical sylinder-shaped hull anchored to the seabed The Aasta Hansteen field shall be operated from Harstad by Statoil’s northern operation area The supply base will be based in Sandnessjøen and the helicopter base in Brønnøysund High North News is not responsible for the content or opinions expressed on external web pages Editor in Chief:Trine Jonassen E-mail High North News Editor/Commentator: Arne O. HolmTel: (+47) 905 29 472 Journalist:Hilde-Gunn Bye Journalist:Astri Edvardsen Translator:Birgitte Annie Molid Martinussen Irpa: securing gas supplies to Europe and extending Aasta Hansteen’s lifetime by seven years is located at a depth of approximately 1350 metres in the Norwegian Sea with expected recoverable gas reserves estimated at almost 20 billion standard cubic metres (Sm3) as well as 0.4 million Sm3 in condensate​s Irpa will be developed as a tie-in to Aasta Hansteen currently the deepest field development on the Norwegian continental shelf Irpa's gas volumes are expected to correspond to the consumption of more than 2.3 million British households for seven years A new chapter for Aasta HansteenThis project will open a new chapter in the history of Aasta Hansteen Available capacity at Aasta Hansteen will be utilised and the lifetime of the platform extended maintaining employment for a further seven years The development also strengthens our position as a reliable and long-term supplier of gas to Europe Recent events have underscored the importance of stable gas deliveries to Europe and Irpa will contribute to increased reliable supplies in the years ahead Local spin-offsThe development will extend the lifetime of Aasta Hansteen from 2032 to 2039 This provides significant value creation through jobs and local spin-offs the operation of Aasta Hansteen created jobs equivalent to over 300 full-time person-years The development has a total cost of NOK 14.8 billion in 2022-kroner and the field is scheduled to come onstream in the fourth quarter of 2026 There will be joint production from Irpa and Aasta Hansteen through 2031 and then Irpa will continue to produce until 2039 The development of Irpa will be positive for securing many jobs both onshore and offshore contributing to extended activity at the supply base in Sandnessjøen and the operations organisation in Harstad the development has good social profitability Field development solutionThe field will be developed with three wells and an 80-kilometre tie-back pipeline to the Aasta Hansteen platform As the only planned deepwater development in Norway (in 1350 metres of water) the technical solution will enable new deep and cold-water developments elsewhere A newly-developed insulated pipe solution will be used for the pipeline to Aasta Hansteen This innovation employs a swaged pipe-in-pipe design with a combination of insulation and vacuum between the inner and outer pipes together with monoethyleneglycol (MEG) injection to reduce the formation of hydrates in the multi-phase well stream The gas from Irpa will be phased into existing infrastructure over Aasta Hansteen and transported via Polarled to the Nyhamna processing plant gas is transported via the Langeled pipeline system to customers in the UK and continental Europe The partners in the project are Equinor (operator) The field is expected to come on stream in 2026 *(source: NCS spin-off analysis from KPB/Equinor’s supplier register) ABERDEEN, UK– Equinor has contracted Ramco to provide inspection and mobilization of casing and tubing in Norway over the next two years This covers sites in the ports of Florø and Sandnessjøen The company will deliver its Ready to Run service which involves preparing tubulars to be fully ready for use before they reach the rig site The contract could be extended through 2024 Ramco claims its services in Norway have demonstrated proven benefits Staff will inspect casing and tubing in the range from 2⅜-in and perform installation of centralizers and bucking services on tubulars STAVANGER, Norway – Three subsea templates have been installed ahead of schedule at the Aasta Hansteen field in the Norwegian Sea in 1,300 m (4,265 ft) of water Aker Solutions built the templates in Sandnessjøen all are of a new design in which the top structure is separated from the base structure This allows the templates to be installed in deep and rough waters using a smaller installation vessel has a lifting capacity of 400 metric tons (441 tons) The six structures comprising the three templates weigh between 120 and 190 metric tons (132 and 209 tons) each The upper structures rest on the top of the three suction anchors – another new design – also built at Aker Solutions in Sandnessjøen Normally Statoil would employ four suction anchors per template The suction anchors are 22.5 m (74 ft) high with a diameter of 7.5 m (24.6 ft) and a weight of 123 metric tons (135 tons) each They sink around 6 m (19.7 ft) into the seabed under their own weight before being sucked 18 m (59 ft) down until only a couple of meters protrude Earlier this month Aasta Hansteen’s subsea manifolds and they too are of a new design to suit deeper water/rough weather installations Also now in place are the foundation plate for thePolarled pipeline end station and the umbilical riser base Subsea 7’s vessel Normand Oceanic was next due to install the control cables, provided by Aker Solutions in Moss. Later this summer, installation will get under way of the 17 suction anchors that will moor the spar platform itself, and eight more suction anchors that will hold the risers in place. Momek in Mo i Rana is supplying all these structures. The risers and pipelines will be installed next year. 2015Aker Solutions won a framework agreement to provide maintenance and modifications services at BP-operated oil and gas fields offshore Norway Photo: BP p.l.c.The contract has a fixed period of five years valued at as much as NOK 3.2 billion It also contains options to extend the agreement by as many as four years 2015 on expiration of an existing agreement for similar services "This contract was won in stiff international and national competition and will help secure jobs on the west coast of Norway as well as provide crucial support for our development of operations farther north," said Per Harald Kongelf head of Aker Solutions in Norway. "We're very pleased to continue our strong partnership with BP on the Norwegian shelf." The agreement is for work on the North Sea fields Ula Hod and Valhall as well as the Skarv deposit in the Norwegian Sea The work will be managed and executed by Aker Solutions' maintenance modifications and operations units in Stavanger and Sandnessjøen and at the company's fabrication yard in Egersund "Aker Solutions is a very experienced and capable supplier that has over many years had large and demanding deliveries to BP both in development projects and in the production phase," said Eldar Larsen vice president of operations for BP in Norway "The company has shown great flexibility and willingness to develop and use local businesses which is especially important for activity in Sandnessjøen." Aker Solutions has worked with BP in Norway for more than twenty years and signed the first long-term framework agreement contract of this type with the company in 1999 "We look forward to continuing the constructive relationship we've developed over the years with BP as we work together to find the most cost-effective solutions for these fields," said Knut Sandvik Aker Solutions is a global provider of products, systems and services to the oil and gas industry. Its engineering, design and technology bring discoveries into production and maximize recovery. The company employs approximately 16,000 people in about 20 countries. Go to www.akersolutions.com for more information on our business This press release may include forward-looking information or statements and is subject to our disclaimer, see www.akersolutions.com This information is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act The contract has a fixed period of five years valued at as much as NOK 3.2 billion \"This contract was won in stiff international and national competition and will help secure jobs on the west coast of Norway as well as provide crucial support for our development of operations farther north,\" said Per Harald Kongelf head of Aker Solutions in Norway. \"We're very pleased to continue our strong partnership with BP on the Norwegian shelf.\" \"Aker Solutions is a very experienced and capable supplier that has over many years had large and demanding deliveries to BP both in development projects and in the production phase,\" said Eldar Larsen \"The company has shown great flexibility and willingness to develop and use local businesses which is especially important for activity in Sandnessjøen.\" \"We look forward to continuing the constructive relationship we've developed over the years with BP as we work together to find the most cost-effective solutions for these fields,\" said Knut Sandvik Aker Solutions is a global provider of products, systems and services to the oil and gas industry. Its engineering, design and technology bring discoveries into production and maximize recovery. The company employs approximately 16,000 people in about 20 countries. Go to www.akersolutions.com for more information on our business This press release may include forward-looking information or statements and is subject to our disclaimer, see www.akersolutions.com and Subsea 7 – have started the fabrication work on the first of three seabed installations (subsea manifolds) for a huge oil and gas project in the Norwegian Sea This milestone was marked in Aker Solutions’ workshop halls in Sandnessjøen The start-up of construction for one of these projects which is known as the Skarv Satellite Project (SSP) alongside a number of Aker BP’s employees and partners in the Subsea Alliance (Aker Solutions and Subsea 7) and the Modification Alliance (Aker BP and Aker Solutions) The latter will carry out comprehensive modifications on the FPSO Skarv it can receive production from the satellite developments.  the Skarv Satellite Project has high profitability and will secure an extended lifetime for the FPSO Skarv while representing a direct response to the stimulus package adopted by the Storting (Norwegian parliament) three years ago to ensure activity “The event at Aker Solutions in Sandnessjøen on Tuesday means full steam ahead on construction of the large subsea structures for the satellite fields around Skarv The event was also a recognition of the good start for the Modification Alliance on the pre-fabrication work at Aker Solutions in Sandnessjøen and Mosjøen Significant parts of the engineering and construction work are also being carried out in the Helgeland region in Nordland County,” outlined Aker BP The Skarv Satellite Project, which encompasses three separate seabed developments – Alve Nord, Idun Nord and Ørn – is believed to be the largest development in the Norwegian Sea in recent years and will be connected to the FPSO Skarv off the coast of Helgeland. The total investment framework is estimated at approximately NOK 17 billion (nearly $1.57 billion) and recoverable resources are estimated at a total of about 120 million barrels of oil equivalent The operator explains that each of the three developments consists of a subsea template with four well slots and two wells which are tied back to the FPSO Skarv located in the northern part of the Norwegian Sea The development of the three discoveries is coordinated by a unified project team in an effort to reduce costs through shared infrastructure The start-up of production is anticipated in the third quarter of 2027 with an estimated production period of six to ten years. The employment effects are estimated by the companies at 7,800 man-years in the development and operation phase “Norwegian suppliers are expected to deliver around 60 per cent of the investments. The huge subsea manifolds are visible examples of what’s being built at Aker Solutions’ yard in Sandnessjøen and increase regional impact in Helgeland,” added Akler BP The Norwegian player also points out that the Skarv Satellite development is paving the way for future developments in the area linked to new discoveries which can contribute to long-term high production from the FPSO Skarv. The Skarv field is now producing around 22 million standard cubic metres of gas and around 25,000 barrels of condensate every single day Development and production from the Skarv satellites are crucial for success they will account for around 60 per cent of Aker BP’s net production from the Skarv area for several years,” concluded Aker BP The Pioneers of Offshore Engineering GustoMSC, part of NOV’s Marine and Construction business, is recognized for providing advanced design & engineering consultancy for mobile offshore units and reliable equipment. In close cooperation with our customers, we translate experience, science, and technical knowledge into realistic & innovative ideas. The performance of new and existing jack-ups, vessels […] 2016Aker Solutions today notified employees in its maintenance modifications and operations (MMO) unit across Norway of necessary steps to reposition the business and enhance competitiveness in a market with unprecedented challenges.The company is streamlining the Norwegian MMO business to one regional unit from previously four affecting management and staff from Tromsø to Stavanger as many as 900 permanent positions may be impacted at facilities in Stavanger Tromsø and Sandnessjøen as well as offshore The workforce reductions will be made through regular employee turnover reassignments to other parts of the company and redundancies A process to implement about half of the reductions will start immediately Remaining adjustments will depend on work levels throughout the year The company has previously reduced capacity in its Norwegian MMO business by about 1,300 permanent and temporary positions since July 2014 to adjust to a market slowdown "These measures are painful but necessary to strengthen the competitiveness and longer term potential of our Norwegian MMO business which has suffered from a sharp drop in activity in Norway's offshore services market," said Luis Araujo The more streamlined business will support leaner processes and bolster overall operations It will build on the company's core strengths in the MMO area particularly within more complex modifications projects "We see significant opportunities ahead in the Norwegian modifications segment where our experience and know-how are second to none," said Per Harald Kongelf head of Aker Solutions' Norwegian operations There has been a substantial downturn in investments in the Norwegian oil and gas market since 2014 Aker Solutions expects the MMO market in Norway to continue to be challenging in 2016 Work volumes will also be impacted as the company's long-term maintenance and modifications framework agreement with Statoil expires in the first half of this year the company's prefabrication workshop in Sandnessjøen will be temporarily shut down for about three years MMO operations in Tromsø will also be terminated though some employees in this strategically important northern location will likely be kept on as part of the company's Arctic Hub These employees will join Aker Solutions' Engineering and Front End Spectrum teams but I am confident that the steps we are taking now to streamline operations reduce costs and focus on our key strengths will enhance our position in MMO where we have been winning business and expanding in countries including Canada Aker Solutions has about 16,000 permanent employees in some 20 countries of which approximately 3,600 are in Norway Aker Solutions' head of Norwegian operations will be available to the media at 12:00 CET today at the company's headquarters in Fornebu (Snarøyveien 36).  Aker Solutions is a global provider of products, systems and services to the oil and gas industry. Its engineering, design and technology bring discoveries into production and maximize recovery. The company employs approximately 16,000 people in about 20 countries. Go to www.akersolutions.com for more information on our business This press release may include forward-looking information or statements and is subject to our disclaimer, see www.akersolutions.com The company is streamlining the Norwegian MMO business to one regional unit from previously four \"These measures are painful but necessary to strengthen the competitiveness and longer term potential of our Norwegian MMO business which has suffered from a sharp drop in activity in Norway's offshore services market,\" said Luis Araujo \"We see significant opportunities ahead in the Norwegian modifications segment where our experience and know-how are second to none,\" said Per Harald Kongelf Aker Solutions is a global provider of products, systems and services to the oil and gas industry. Its engineering, design and technology bring discoveries into production and maximize recovery. The company employs approximately 16,000 people in about 20 countries. Go to www.akersolutions.com for more information on our business This press release may include forward-looking information or statements and is subject to our disclaimer, see www.akersolutions.com