The field comprises the Midgard, Smorbukk and Smorbukk South deposits, which were discovered in 1981, 1984 and 1985 respectively. Water depths are roughly 240-300m. Midgard straddles blocks 6507/11 and 6407/2, while the other two deposits lie in block 6506/11. The development consists of a monohull unit (Åsgard A), for oil and condensate production with the world’s largest floating gas semi-submersible platform (Åsgard B). The other installations for development of the fields are Åsgard C (a storage ship) and the necessary subsea production installations. These subsea systems are one of the most extensive in world, embracing a total of 51 wells, grouped in 16 seabed templates, linked by 300km of flowlines. Åsgard B was towed out to the field on 14 April 2000, and came on-stream in Autumn 2000. The field will produce 12 billion m³ of gas per year (plateau), as well as 200,000 barrels of oil and 94,000 barrels of condensate per day. The field has reserves of 830 million barrels of oil and condensate, and 212 billion m³ of gas. The Åsgard A oil production ship arrived in the field on 8 February 1999. This monohull is permanently moored to the seabed and provides a storage capacity on-board for roughly 907,000 barrels of oil. It is able to produce up to 200,000 barrels per day. Oil is transferred, via a loading system, to shuttle tankers for transport to customers or terminals. Oil production began on 19 May 1999. Åsgard B is a semisubmersible, floating platform with process plants for the treatment of gas and the stabilisation of oil and condensate. Developed by Kværner/GVA Consultants in Gothenburg, the semisubmersible platform has been designated a Kværner GVA70. The fabrication was carried out under a US$1 billion turnkey EPIC contract, with Kværner. The Åsgard B hull comprises a ring pontoon with six columns to support the topsides. It was built in Korea by Daewoo Heavy Industries, under a US$85 million contract. The hull measures 114mx96m and weighs 19,000t. The heavy-lift carrier Mighty Servant 3 transported the hull to Norway, in a 45-day journey. Measuring 96mx114m, the platform B topside weighs 28,000t, and incorporates living quarters and processing facilities. It will also carry operative deck loads of 15,000t. The construction of the platform deck began at Kværner Rosenberg’s Stavanger yard. The two topside halves weighing a total of 33,000t were welded together, before being mated with the hull. This operation took place in the Amy Fjord, close to Stavanger in October 2001. Åsgard B has a daily export capacity of 38 million m³ of rich gas and 94,000 barrels of condensate (light oil). It incorporates facilities to produce 41,000 barrels of partially stabilised crude oil per day, for transfer to the Åsgard A production ship. Around 11 million m³ of gas will be reinjected into the reservoir, daily. The Åsgard C storage unit was built in Spain’s Sestao yard in Bilbao and arrived at the field in May 2000. Work then commenced pulling in and locking the condensate loading buoy. It was then connected via a flexible riser to the seabed flowline leading to the Åsgard B gas and condensate production floater located 4km away. Measuring 264m long, the vessel belongs to Knutsen OAS Shipping in Haugesund north of Stavanger and has a storage capacity of 868,000 barrels. Also part of the project is the: Åsgard Transport gas trunkline, which runs for 707km to the Kårstø treatment complex north of Stavanger. This line ties Åsgard and other Norwegian Sea fields to markets in continental Europe and the UK An expansion of the facilities at Kårstø separates rich gas from Åsgard into lean gas (methane) for onward transmission by pipeline, and ethane, butane, propane and naphtha for export by ship The Europipe II gas trunkline, running for 650km from Kårstø to the receiving facilities at Dornum on the German coast
Åsgard, North Sea, Equinor, Europe(North),