Askeladd Vest comprises two wells in a new well template linked to the existing Askeladd field.
Norwegian energy company Equinor has begun production from the Askeladd Vest subsea field in the Barents Sea offshore Norway.
Askeladd Vest comprises two wells in a new well template linked to the existing Askeladd field, which began operations in 2022. It is linked via a pipeline and an umbilical.
With a cost of around Nkr3bn ($303m), the Askeladd Vest project is part of an initial multi-phase development and operation strategy at the Snøhvit field in the Barents Sea, along with associated infrastructure surrounding the onshore Hammerfest LNG plant on Melkøya.
Equinor stated that the Askeladd Vest subsea field “contributes to high and long-term production” of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Melkøya processing plant, located 195km away.
With 700 employees, the Melkøya plant produces 6.5 billion standard cubic metres (bscm) of gas each year and exports it to European markets via LNG vessels.
The plant’s output is equivalent to around 5% of Norway’s gas exports and meets roughly 2% of the EU’s gas requirements.
Equinor North exploration and production senior vice-president Grete Haaland said: “Askeladd Vest is an important step in the development of the Snøhvit field and will help maintain full production at Hammerfest LNG until onshore compression starts as part of the Snøhvit Future project in 2028.”
Equinor project development senior vice-president Trond Bokn said: “Askeladd Vest is a highly profitable project.
“The project has received substantial deliveries from the Norwegian supplier industry and has created ripple effects on both the local, regional and national scale. The project was also completed with good HSE [health, safety and environment] results.”
Equinor is the operator with a 36.79% stake. Other partners include Petoro with 30%, TotalEnergies EP Norge 18.40%, Vår Energi 12% and Harbour Energy Norge holding 2.81%.
According to the company, the Askeladd Vest field contains recoverable volumes of approximately 15bscm of gas.
Last month, Equinor, along with its partners, announced an oil and gas discovery in the Fram area of the North Sea.
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