Ivar Aasen

Location and Geology

The Ivar Aasen oil and gas field is located in the northern part of the North Sea, approximately 175 km west of Karmøy, Norway, at the Utsira High. It is situated in Blocks 16/1 and 25/10, with water depths of around 110-112 meters.

The field's reservoirs consist of fluvial sandstones from the Late Triassic to Middle Jurassic Skagerrak and Sleipner Formations, as well as shallow marine sandstones of the Middle Jurassic Hugin Formation. The oil resources are found at depths of approximately 2,400 meters for the Ivar Aasen reservoir and 2,950 meters for the West Cable reservoir.

Discovery and Development History

• The Ivar Aasen field was discovered by Det norske in 2008.
• The Hanz field was discovered in 1997 by Esso, and the West Cable field was discovered in 1994.
• The plan for development and operation (PDO) was submitted in December 2012 and approved by the Norwegian authorities in May 2013.

Field Development

The Ivar Aasen field development involves three discoveries: Ivar Aasen, West Cable, and Hanz.

• Phase One: Ivar Aasen and West Cable fields are developed through a manned production, drilling, and quarters (PDQ) platform. The platform, which includes a steel jacket and topside, was installed in July 2016. It features 20 well slots, with 13 initially used, and is equipped with gas compression, separation, water injection, flare boom, and metering facilities.
• Phase Two: The Hanz field is being developed as a subsea tie-back to the Ivar Aasen platform, connected via a flowline and umbilical system. The development concept for Hanz was expected to be finalized in the second quarter of 2021, with first oil anticipated in the first quarter of 2024.

Production and Infrastructure

• Production Start: Oil production from the Ivar Aasen field began in December 2016. Initial production was estimated at 16,000 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day, increasing to 23,000 boe per day when both phases are fully operational.
• Platform Details: The PDQ platform is approximately 230 meters high, with the steel jacket measuring 138 meters high and weighing 14,400 tons. The topside weighs 13,700 tons and includes single cabins for 70 people and a helideck.
• Processing and Export: The oil and gas produced are partially processed on the Ivar Aasen platform before being transported to the Edvard Grieg platform for further processing. From there, oil is exported via the Grane oil pipeline to the Sture terminal, and gas is exported through a pipeline to the British shelf, connecting to the Scottish Area Gas Evacuation (SAGE) pipeline.

Operators and Partners

• Operator: Aker BP is the current operator of the Ivar Aasen field, having taken over from Det norske. Aker BP holds a 34.79% interest in the field.
• Partners: Other partners include Equinor Energy (41.47%), Spirit Energy (12.32%), Wintershall Dea (6.46%), Neptune Energy (3.02%), Lundin Energy (1.39%), and OKEA (0.55%).

Digital and Operational Innovations

• Digital Pilot: Ivar Aasen is Aker BP's digital pilot field, where new technologies are applied to create a digital oil field. The platform uses a digital twin based on real-time data and has equipped all operators with handheld digital devices for paperless access to technical documentation and real-time information.
• Onshore Control Room: In 2019, Ivar Aasen became the first manned platform on the Norwegian continental shelf to be operated from an onshore control room in Trondheim, Norway.

Reserves and Economic Aspects

• Estimated Reserves: The Ivar Aasen field is estimated to hold over 200 million barrels of oil equivalents, with the Hanz field containing approximately 2.9 million cubic meters of oil equivalent reserves.
• Development Costs: The development of the field was expected to cost around Nkr24.7 billion (approximately $4.3 billion).

Recent Developments

• Maintenance and Drilling: The field underwent its first planned maintenance shutdown in September 2020, and new production wells were drilled in late 2020 to increase oil recovery. Additional drilling campaigns were scheduled for 2021.
• Electrification: The field receives electricity from the Edvard Grieg platform and, from 2022, will also receive power from shore via the Johan Sverdrup platform.

Environmental and Operational Efficiency

• Electrification Project: The Utsira High electrification project has been completed, contributing to reduced environmental impact and operational costs.
• Operational Efficiency: The use of digital technologies and onshore control has enhanced production efficiency and safety.