Maria

Location and Geology

The Maria field is located in the Haltenbanken area on the Norwegian continental shelf, approximately 200 kilometres off the coast of Norway. The field lies at a water depth of about 300 metres.

Discovery and Initial Development

The Maria field was discovered in 2010 and is estimated to hold around 180 million barrels of oil equivalent, primarily oil. The field was originally developed with two subsea templates and came on stream in 2017.

Maria Phase 2 Project

The current phase, Maria Phase 2, involves the installation of a new six-slot subsea template and four new wells in the southern part of the Maria field. This phase aims to extend the existing infrastructure to produce new volumes.

Key Components

• New Template: A 330-tonne, six-slot template has been successfully installed on the seabed. This template will accommodate three producing wells and one water injector for pressure support, with two spare slots available for future development.
• Wells: The project includes the drilling of four new wells, which will be connected to the existing infrastructure.
• Infrastructure: The new template will be tied back to the existing infrastructure on the Maria field. The well stream goes to the Kristin platform, water injection comes from Heidrun, and lift gas is provided from Åsgard B via the Tyrihans subsea field. Processed oil is sent to the Åsgard field for storage and export, while gas is exported via the Åsgard Transport System to Kårstø.

Execution and Partners

• Operator: Wintershall Dea Norge AS is the operator of the Maria field, holding a 50% share. The other partners are Petoro AS with 30% and Sval Energi AS with 20%.
• Contractor: TechnipFMC was awarded the integrated Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Installation (iEPCI) contract for Maria Phase 2. They transported and installed the template using their heavy subsea construction vessel, North Sea Atlantic.

Objectives and Impact

• Production Increase: The Maria Phase 2 project is expected to add around 27 million barrels of oil equivalent to the total field reserves, helping to prolong the lifetime of the field and surrounding infrastructure.
• Energy Security: The project aims to secure reliable energy supplies to Europe by utilizing existing infrastructure efficiently.
• Climate Goals: Wintershall Dea emphasizes the use of existing infrastructure as a strategy to deliver energy while contributing to climate goals by minimizing new investments and environmental impact.

Timeline

• Installation: The new template was successfully installed in September 2023.
• Start-Up: The Maria Phase 2 project is planned for start-up in 2025.

Unique Aspects

The Maria project is noted for its complexity, particularly in its tie-back setup, which maximizes the use of existing infrastructure to minimize investment and maximize profit in a challenging economic environment.

By extending the life of the Maria field and increasing its reserves, the Maria Phase 2 project aligns with Wintershall Dea's broader strategy of efficient subsea engineering and responsible energy production in Norway.