Berling

Berling Oil and Gas Field Profile

Location

The Berling oil and gas field is located in the Norwegian Sea, specifically on the Halten Terrace, approximately 20 kilometers west of the Åsgard field. It is situated within the production licenses PL 644, PL 644 B, and PL 644 C.

Discovery and Appraisal

The Berling field, formerly known as the Iris Hades, was discovered in April 2018 by the exploration well 6506/11-10, drilled by the Deepsea Bergen semi-submersible drilling rig. The discovery is composed of two reservoirs: Hades and Iris, now collectively known as Berling. An appraisal well, 6506/11-12 S, was drilled to further assess the Hades gas/condensate discovery.

Ownership and Operator

The field is operated by OMV (Norge) AS, with a 30% working interest. The other partners are Equinor Energy AS with a 40% interest and DNO Norge AS with a 30% interest.

Reservoir Details

The Berling field contains gas and condensate reserves. The Berling Garn reservoir is located in the Middle Jurassic Garn Formation at a depth of approximately 4,100 meters and is characterized by high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) conditions. The Berling Breiflabb reservoir is in the intra-Lange Formation turbidite sandstone of Late Cretaceous age at a depth of about 3,900 meters. The reservoirs are structurally complex with varying reservoir quality.

Development Plan

The development plan involves a four-slot subsea production template tied back via a 24km pipeline to the Åsgard B platform, which is operated by Equinor. The gas from the field will be processed at the Åsgard B platform and then exported to the Kårstø gas processing plant through the Åsgard Transport System for further processing. The condensate will be mixed with other Åsgard production for storage and eventually exported by shuttle tankers.

Production and Reserves

Production from the Berling field is expected to commence in 2028 and peak in 2029. The field is forecast to continue production until it reaches its economic limit in 2033. The estimated recoverable resources are around 45 million barrels of oil equivalents, with specific reserves including:

• Gas: approximately 4,580 million m³ (1P reserves)
• Natural Gas Liquids (NGL): approximately 8.58 million barrels (1P reserves)
• Oil: approximately 9.62 million barrels (1P reserves).

Contractors Involved

Several contractors are involved in the development of the Berling field:

• TechnipFMC: Provided integrated front-end engineering and design (FEED) for the subsea production system and is part of the main EPC contract.
• Baker Hughes: Awarded a four-year frame agreement for integrated well construction and completion (IWCC) services.
• Transocean: Awarded a rig contract for the use of the ‘Transocean Norge’ drilling rig for 17 wells.
• Aker Solutions: Part of the main EPC contract.
• Odfjell Drilling and Shearwater GeoServices Holding: Other contractors involved in the project.

Investment and Employment

The development cost of the Berling field is estimated to be around NOK 9.1 billion (approximately $900 million). The project is expected to generate employment of around 4,200 man-years during the development and operation phase.

Significance

The Berling field is significant for maintaining Norway’s position as an important gas supplier to Europe, contributing to Europe’s energy security, especially in the current geopolitical context.