Equinor announced May 2 plans to shut production at the Statfjord A platform in the North Sea, one of the oldest platforms on the Norwegian continental shelf. Statfjord A went on stream in 1979 and had been scheduled for shutdown in 1999, but it has since received numerous upgrades.
An impact assessment for the Statfjord A removal was issued for public consultation during 2018 while preparations for shutdown and decommissioning have been under way. Equinor plans to submit a disposal plan to authorities.
Equinor let a contract for engineering work and preparations for topside removal and disposal to Excalibur Marine Contractors. Excalibur hired Kvaerner to dismantle and recycle the topside onshore at Stord. Allseas’ heavy lift will remove the topside structure from the concrete legs in a single lift.
Statfjord A, 84 m long and 54 m wide, works in 149 m of water in Statfjord field. Equinor plans to start permanent plugging of wells on Statfjord A this year.
Two other platforms on the field, Statfjord B from 1982 and Statfjord C from 1985, will remain on stream until at least 2025, Equinor said.
Partners in Statfjord field include Equinor as operator with 44.34%, ExxonMobil Corp. 21.37%, Spirit Energy Resources Ltd. 14,53%, Spirit Energy Norway AS 19.76%.
