OREANDA-NEWS. January 31, 2013. BP announced the successful start-up of oil production from new facilities at the Valhall field in the southern part of the Norwegian North Sea. Production started.

“The Valhall Re-Development Project is another significant milestone for BP and is an important investment in our North Sea portfolio,” said Bob Dudley, BP group chief executive. “It is one of BP’s most complex field expansion developments and gives Valhall a further 40-year design life with the capacity to handle 120,000 barrels of oil and 143 million cubic feet of gas per day.”

Production from Valhall is expected to build up to around 65,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in the second half of 2013. The redevelopment includes a new production, utilities and accommodation platform mounted on a fixed steel jacket, an external system of bridges and walkways linking the new platform to the existing Valhall complex, a power-from-shore system, and an integrated operating environment linking onshore and offshore personnel.

Rebecca Wiles, BP Norway managing director, said: “The re-development of this giant field over the past few years underpins a long future for Valhall. It is a further demonstration of our commitment to our business here in Norway.”

Valhall is now 100 per cent powered from shore, via a 294-kilometre direct-current cable from Lista – the first field offshore Norway and within BP to use such a power-from-shore system. This will make direct emissions to air from the Valhall field close to zero.

Including the new platform, the Valhall field complex now has six separate manned platforms: quarters; drilling; production; wellheads; water injection; and the new combined process and hotel platform. In addition it has two unmanned flank platforms, each approximately six kilometres from the main facilities.

Discovered in 1975, first production from the Valhall field came in 1982. The redevelopment project is expected to extend production from the field to 2050.

BP Norway is the operator of Valhall with a 35.9 per cent interest. Hess Norge owns the remaining 64.1 per cent.