OREANDA-NEWS. October 15, 2012. Total announces the start-up of its Atla gas condensate field in the Norwegian North Sea. Atla was brought into production two years after completion of exploration drilling.

The Atla field is part of the PL102C license and is located in block 25/5. Partners are Total E&P Norge 40% (operator), Petoro 30%, Centrica 20% and Det Norske 10%. The field was developed subsea with a tieback to the existing Skirne/Byggve subsea system, operated by Total, which is connected to the Heimdal host platform located 24 kilometers southwest. The Atla field is expected to produce gas at an average flow rate of 14,000 boe/d including 2,500 b/d of condensates in 2013.

Commenting on the start-up of the field, Patrice de Vivies, Total’s Senior Vice President Exploration & Production for Northern Europe, said: "The Atla discovery was made in October 2010, in the frame of our near-by exploration program. The fast track development was completed within budget and schedule and will have a very quick return. It is a good example of Total’s expertise in maximizing value of mature assets by combining exploration and development forces".