Kristin

Kristin Oil and Gas Project Profile

Location

The Kristin field is situated in the southwestern part of the Halten Bank (Haltenbanken) in the Norwegian Sea, approximately 240 kilometers off the coast of Norway[3,.

Discovery and Development

• The Kristin field was discovered in 1997.
• The field was approved for development and production on 17 December 2001.
• Equinor took over the operatorship from Saga Petroleum on 1 January 2000.

Production Start and Capacity

• The field came on stream on 3 November 2005.
• The production capacity includes 125,000 barrels of condensate and over 18 million cubic meters of rich gas per day.

Field Development Concept

• The field development involves four 4-slot subsea templates tied back to a semi-submersible production platform for processing.
• Light oil is separated and stabilized at Kristin, then transferred to Åsgard C for storage and shipment.

Geology and Reservoir Conditions

• The Kristin field is a deeply buried high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) reservoir, located approximately 5,000 meters below the ground level.
• The reservoir pressure and temperature are 900 bars and 180 degrees Celsius, respectively, which were higher than in any other field developed on the Norwegian continental shelf at the time.

Host Platform and Satellite Fields

• The Kristin platform serves as a host for the Equinor-operated Tyrihans field (which started production in 2009) and the Wintershall-operated Maria field (which started production in 2017).
• The Kristin South project, which includes the Lavrans and Kristin Q discoveries, is tied back to the existing Kristin platform.

Kristin South Project

• Phase 1 Development:

  • The plan for development and operation (PDO) of the Lavrans and Kristin Q discoveries was submitted in June 2021 and approved by the authorities in 2022.
  • Production from the first Lavrans well began on 7 July 2024.
  • The project involves the installation of a new subsea template tied into the Kristin platform.
  • Expected production includes 6.2 billion cubic meters (GSm3) of gas and 1.9 million cubic meters (MSm3) of oil, totaling 58.2 million barrels of oil equivalent.

• Wells and Infrastructure:

  • Four additional wells are planned: three at the Lavrans field and one in the Q-segment at the Kristin field.
  • The gas will be exported through the pipeline system to the European market, while the oil will be transported by ship via the Åsgard C storage vessel.

• Environmental and Employment Impact:

  • The CO2 intensity for extraction and production in Kristin South phase one is less than 1 kilogram of CO2 per barrel of oil equivalent, with emissions primarily from drilling activities.
  • The project has generated significant employment, with over 4,000 person-years of work across Norway, including 800 in the Mid-Norway region, during the 2020-2025 period.

Partners and Contractors

• Partners:

  • Equinor (operator, 54.82%)
  • Petoro (22.52%)
  • Vår Energi (16.66%)
  • TotalEnergies EP Norge (6%).

• Contractors:

  • Aker Solutions: Subsea production system
  • TechnipFMC: Pipeline fabrication, pipelaying, and subsea installation
  • Aibel: Engineering, procurement, construction, and installation for Kristin platform modification
  • Transocean Spitsbergen: Rig contractor.

Production and Export

• Gas from the Kristin platform is exported through the Åsgard Transport System (ÅTS) to the Kårstø processing plant in Norway.
• Condensate is transported to the Åsgard C floating storage and offloading unit (FSO) for storage and export.

Low-Pressure Production and Field Life Extension

• In 2014, low-pressure production started at Kristin, adding several hundred million barrels from Kristin and Tyrihans, thus extending the field’s economic life.
• The technical lifetime of the Kristin platform is currently estimated to extend to 2043, with potential for further extensions.

Additional Developments

• The Kristin South project is part of a broader strategy to develop existing infrastructure on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, contributing to energy security and job creation in Norway.
• Future phases may include the development of the Erlend and Ragnfrid discoveries as part of the Kristin South project.