Norwegian oil exploration and development company Aker BP has awarded a contract for the development in the Yggdrasil area, to Dutch steel fabricator Heerema Vlissingen.
Under the contract, Heerema Vlissingen will procure and construct Munin jacket, an unmanned production platform in the northern part of the Yggdrasil area in the North Sea
Aker Solutions will carry out the detailed engineering of the jacket, which will be fabricated at the Heerema yard in Vlissingen in the Netherlands, and Aibel is delivering the topsides.
Munin jacket, which weighs 5,800tonnes, and measures 130m in height, will be installed in a water depth of 105m, where eight piles of 60m will be used to secure the jacket to the seabed.
Heerema Vlissingen is expected to start procurement of the Jacket in the autumn, with construction planned to commence at the beginning of 2024 and installation in 2025.
Lifting capacity has been secured for all the installations in the Yggdrasil area, said Aker BP
Yggdrasil project fixed facilities deliveries director Peter Kupka said: “This is an important contract for the Yggdrasil development. With this award, we have placed all major fixed facilities contracts in the Yggdrasil area, and we are in line with our execution plan.
“Heerema Fabrication Group Vlissingen is an experienced international contractor with a solid track record. I am very pleased that they will contribute to Yggdrasil and look forward to starting the execution phase for the Munin jacket.”
Previously known as NOAKA, Yggdrasil consists of the Hugin, Fulla and Munin licence groups and the area is located between Alvheim and Oseberg.
It hosts several discoveries and contains a total of around 650 million barrels of oil equivalent and will require an estimated NOK115bn ($10.3bn) investment.
In December last year, Aker BP and licence partners Equinor and PGNiG Upstream Norway made a final investment decision (FID) to develop the Yggdrasil area.
The partners submitted the Plan for Development and Operations (PDO) to Norwegian authorities, with production scheduled to commence in 2027.
The award of the contract follows Aker BP’s discovery of significant oil at the Øst Frigg Beta/Epsilon exploration well in the Yggdrasil area, last week.
The discovery is said to increase the resource base for the Yggdrasil development.
Kupka added: “We have now secured the execution plan for the Munin jacket from the start of engineering to installation. Heerema will also be responsible for the installation of the jacket performed under a separate contract between Aker BP and Heerema Marine Contractors. Well done to all involved.”
