OREANDA-NEWS. November 22, 2012. Statoil and partners have started up production on the Visund South oil and gas field in the North Sea.

Visund South is the first of Statoil's fast-track portfolio projects.

"This is a milestone," says Hogne Pedersen, head of field development on Visund South.

"We've managed to carry out this project in accordance with our planning and investment estimates. It wouldn't have been possible without the excellent cooperation we've enjoyed within Statoil, in the licence, and with the authorities and suppliers," he says.

David Lloyd, installation project manager in Technology, Projects and Drilling, supports Hogne’s statement and adds:

“I would like to thank all the suppliers, including main supplier FMC Technologies for delivery of the subsea production system, Subsea 7 for marine installation, and topside contractor Aibel for its contribution. And, not least, I’d like to express my gratitude for the excellent, close cooperation we enjoyed with the Gullfaks operational organisation in preparing the facility and handing it over ready for production."

Visund South consists of the Pan and Pandora discoveries, which are located 10 kilometres from both the Gullfaks C and Visund A-platforms and have been developed by means of a subsea installation. This consists of a template and four wells, where the first of three wells have been drilled and tied back to Gullfaks C for processing.

The development represents a total investment of roughly NOK 5.6 billion. Transport and export will take place via the Gullfaks C export system.

Hogne Pedersen, head of field development on Visund South.

The Visund South volumes have been estimated at around 67 million barrels of oil equivalents and the discovery is being characterised as a medium-sized one, in which oil accounts for 25% and gas 75%.

Useful experiences

"We've gained much valuable experience from which we can benefit greatly in our forthcoming fast-track projects, and perhaps especially when we move ahead on the Visund Nord project, due to start up in September next year. Largely the same organisation will be deployed on both projects," says Pedersen.

Tom Karsten Gustavsen, production vice president operation for Visund, Kvitebjшrn and Grane, states that the production contribution made by Visund South will be significant for the Visund licence in the coming years.

"During the first two years this will account for more than 40% of the total exports from Visund. This is important for the continuing life of Gullfaks, which has spare processing capacity. We've had to carry out extensive modifications to the Gullfaks C platform in order to succeed here," says Gustavsen.

Facts about Visund south
Discovered: 2008/2009
Production start-up: November 2012
Location: In the North Sea between the Visund and Gullfaks fields
Reservoir: Two structures, Pan and Pandora, with reservoir pressure of roughly 340 bar
Volumes: 67 mboe (1/4 oil and 3/4 gas)
Depth: 290 metres and 2900 metres below seabed
Estimated lifetime: More than 15 years
Partners: Statoil 53.2% (Operator), Total 7.7%, Petoro 30.0% and ConocoPhillips 9.1%