Heimdal

Heimdal Oil and Gas Field Profile

Location and Geology

• The Heimdal field is located in the central part of the North Sea, at a water depth of 120 meters. It is situated west of Stord, north of the Johan Sverdrup field, and south of the Oseberg field, near the border with the UK continental shelf.

Discovery and Production

• The Heimdal field was discovered in 1972. The initial plan for development and operation (PDO) was approved in 1981, and production began in December 1985.

Field Development

• The field was developed with an integrated drilling, production, and accommodation facility, which includes a steel jacket. The facility consists of two platforms: the main platform (HMP1) and a riser platform, interconnected by a bridge.

Production History

• Heimdal produced 46 billion standard cubic meters of gas and seven million cubic meters of oil and condensate until the cessation of production in 2020 due to a decline in output. After the main gas reserves in the Heimdal reservoir were depleted towards the end of the 1990s, the field was modified to receive and process gas from other fields such as Huldra, Vale, Byggve/Skirne, Atla, and Valemon.

Gas Processing and Transport

• Heimdal was converted into a gas processing centre in 2001, serving as a hub for dry gas transport from the Oseberg field. The gas processed at Heimdal, along with gas from other fields, is exported via Statpipe and Vesterled pipelines to continental Europe and the UK. Condensate is transported by pipeline to the Brae platform in the UK sector and further to Cruden Bay in the UK.

Operatorship and Partners

• The Heimdal field is operated by Equinor Energy, a subsidiary of Equinor, which holds a 29.4% interest in the license. Other partners include Spirit Energy Norway (28.8%), Petoro (20%), TotalEnergies E&P Norge (16.7%), and LOTOS Exploration and Production Norge (5%).

Decommissioning

• Production from the fields that process gas at Heimdal is declining, and operations were scheduled to shut down in June 2023. The decommissioning process involves the shutdown and removal of the two Heimdal platforms. The riser platform is planned to be removed in 2024, followed by the removal of the main platform in 2025. The gangway connecting the two platforms will also be removed, dismantled, and recycled. Dutch offshore services company Heerema Marine Contractors has been contracted to remove, dismantle, and recycle the platforms, with approximately 98% of the material planned to be recycled.

Contractors Involved

• Heerema Marine Contractors will use their heavy lift vessels, Sleipnir and Thialf, to lift the topsides and jackets of the platforms. Aker Solutions will perform the dismantling and recycling of the platforms at their decommissioning facilities at Eldoyane in Stord, Norway.

Current Status

• Production at Heimdal ceased in 2020, but the field continued to operate as a gas processing centre until mid-2023. The decommissioning of the facilities must be completed by the end of 2028.