Vår Energi ASA has temporarily reduced production from Balder field in the central part of the North Sea by about 9,000 b/d, partner Mime Petroleum AS said in a release Feb. 10.
The precautionary measure follows a potential integrity concern associated with a riser identified through the operator’s monitoring systems. Ongoing inspection and analysis will determine when production can be resumed.
A riser change is scheduled for 2023, and measures are being investigated to accelerate the timeline.
Balder field has been developed with subsea wells tied-back to the Balder production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO). The Ringhorne deposit, 9 km north of the FPSO, is included in the Balder complex. The field is developed with a platform with initial processing and water injection capabilities. Production of oil and gas is routed to the Balder FPSO for final processing, storage, and export.
Vår Energi is the operator of Balder and Ringhorne with 90% working interest. Mime Petroleum holds the remaining 10%.
