Equinor to develop Lavrans, Kristin Q in the Norwegian Sea
Equinor Energy AS and partners have made a final investment decision for development of the Lavrans discovery and Kristin Q-discovery, part of Kristin field, in the Norwegian Sea. The plan for development and operation (PDO) of Phase 1 of what is deemed the Kristin South project was submitted to Norwegian authorities June 30. Capital expenditures for the phase will total about 6.5 billion kroner.
Production from Lavrans and Kristin Q will be tied into the Kristin platform. A subsea template will be installed at Lavrans, while at Kristin Q an existing subsea template will be reused. A total of five wells are planned, four at Lavrans and one at Kristin Q.
Kristin field was put on stream in 2005. The technical life of the Kristin platform is estimated to end in 2034, with possibilities of further life extension to 2042.
Lavrans was discovered in 1995. With a large gas volume, Lavrans is a complex reservoir with uncertain production qualities. The wells are designed to reduce uncertainty by having long horizontal production zones in the reservoir. Kristin Q lies in the southern part of Kristin field. It is a high-pressure, high-temperature reservoir. Lavrans and Kristin Q will be developed as one project with a shared pipeline to the Kristin platform.
Production in Phase 1 of the project is estimated at 58.2 MMboe.
The PDO also includes a description of possible future phases of the project, including a possible next phase of Lavrans, as well as possible development of Erlend and Ragnfrid discoveries.
CO2 intensity for extraction and production of Kristin South Phase 1 is less than 1 kg of CO2 per boe. The emissions will mainly be generated from the project’s drilling activities.
Lavrans and Kristin Q will be operated by the Kristin organization at Stjørdal in mid-Norway. Production from the first three wells, two at Lavrans, and one at Kristin Q, is scheduled to start in 2024. Production start for the two last wells at Lavrans is scheduled for 2025.
Aker Solutions has been awarded the contract for subsea production facilities. The contract has an estimated value of about 1 billion kroner.
TechnipFMC has been awarded the contract for fabrication of pipeline, pipelaying, and subsea installation services. TechnipFMC will also deliver the umbilical. The total contract value is estimated at 1 billion kroner.
Aibel has been awarded the contract for engineering, procurement, construction, and installation (EPCI) for the modification of the Kristin platform. The contract value is estimated at 190 million kroner.
The contracts are subject to government approval of the plan for development and operation.
In connection with the investment decision and plan for development and operation for the Kristin South project, the partners have signed an agreement to extend the area for the partnership Haltenbanken West Unit, making the discoveries Lavrans, Erlend, and Ragnfrid in addition to the Kristin field part of Haltenbanken Vest Unit as of June 1, 2021.
Haltenbanken Vest Unit now comprises production licenses 134 D, 199, and 257.
Kristin field
Kristin field lies in the southwestern part of the Halten Bank in the Norwegian Sea. It has been developed with 12 production wells in four subsea templates, tied back to a semisubmersible production platform. Kristin is the host platform for Equinor-operated Tyrihans and Maria (operator Wintershall). These fields came on stream in 2009 and 2017.
Daily production capacity from Kristin field is 125,000 bbl of condensate and just over 18 million cu m of rich gas. The Kristin reservoir lies almost 5,000 m below ground.
Pressure and temperature in the reservoir, at 900 bar and 170°C respectively, are higher than on any other field so far developed on the Norwegian continental shelf.
Equinor is operator with 54.82%. Partners are Petoro AS (22.52%), Vår Energi AS (16.66 %), and TotalEnergies EP Norge AS (6%).
