Aker BP Commissions Hanz field in the North Sea
Aker BP has started production at the Hanz field in the North Sea. This was reported by the press service of the Norwegian company.
Theses from Aker BP CEO K. Hersvik:
- this is another great example of what we can achieve by working as a team with our suppliers to achieve a common goal and with common incentives;
- in addition, innovative solutions involving the reuse of infrastructure and the use of cross-flow wells have contributed to lower costs and lower emissions;
- the development of the Hanz field is important for the development of the Ivar Aasen subsoil area;
- the start of work at Hanz will help maintain high production levels at the Ivar Aasen offshore platform.
Production at the offshore Hanz field began after the Norwegian Offshore Directorate (NOD) issued a permit in February 2024. It was reported that the Hanz development involves the reuse of subsea installations from the Jette field, where production was stopped in 2016. This is the first time production equipment has been reused in a greenfield development on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).
Aker BP notes that its oil and natural gas production strategy has changed to include the use of cross-flow wells to inject water. According to the operator, this can significantly reduce energy consumption, reduce the use of chemicals and reduce the amount of equipment on the seabed.
Hanz oil and gas field:
- located in the central North Sea, 12 km north of the Ivar Aasen field at a depth of 115 m;
- opened in 1997;
- the plan for development and operation (PDO) was approved back in 2013;
- appraisal drilling was carried out in 2018 (appraisal wells 25/10-16 S, A and C);
- Hanz hydrocarbon deposits;
- the final investment decision (FID) on the project was made in December 2021, at that time, the total investment was estimated at NOK 3.3 billion (about USD 313.7 million), the total investment is currently estimated at almost NOK 5 billion (USD 453.2 million);
- the field will be developed using subsea production systems,
- linked to the Ivar Aasen offshore platform, located approximately 12 km to the south;
- the volume of recoverable reserves (mainly oil) is about 20 million boe;
- the development of the field will be carried out under production license PL028B: issued December 15, 1999, valid until December 31, 2036, the license operator is Aker BP with a participation share of 35%, and its partners are Equinor (50%) and Sval Energi (15%);
- it is expected that the produced oil will be transported to the Edvard Grieg platform for processing and further export via the 212 km Grane Oil pipeline, which connects to the Equinor Sture terminal in the municipality of Øygarde, 50 km northwest of Bergen, Norway.
Aker BP is the operator of 6 fields in the NCS: Alvheim, Ivar Aasen, Skarv, Edvard Grieg, Ula and Valhall, and is also Equinor’s partner in the Johan Sverdrup field development project in the North Sea with a 31.5% participation interest. The company believes that NCS has significant volumes of hydrocarbons, but also notes that discoveries are smaller and the reservoir rocks are more complex.
Based on the results of the Awards in predefined areas 2023 (APA-2023), Aker BP received 27 production licenses, including 17 operator licenses.
