Skogul

Skogul Oil Field Profile

Location and Geology

The Skogul oil field is situated in the central part of the Norwegian North Sea, within production licence (PL) 460. It is approximately 30 kilometers north-east of the Alvheim field and 12 kilometers from the abandoned Frigg field, with a distance of 220 kilometers north-west of the Stavanger field. The field lies in water depths of 110 meters and is located in the Eocene age sandstone of the Frigg Formation at a depth of roughly 2,100 meters.

Ownership and Operation

The Skogul oil field is jointly owned by Aker BP (operator, 65%) and PGNiG Upstream Norway (35%).

Discovery and Appraisal

The Skogul oilfield was discovered in April 2010 by the 25/1-11 exploration well, drilled using the Aker Barents drilling rig to a total depth of 2,298 meters. This well encountered a 9-meter column of good-quality oil. A subsequent side-track appraisal well, 25/1-11 A, was drilled to a total depth of 2,225 meters and encountered a 19-meter oil column and a 1-meter gas column. Both wells were drilled until they encountered Palaeocene-age rock in the Heimdal formation. The proven hydrocarbon volumes were approximated to be between 7 million barrels of oil equivalent (Mboe) and 12 Mboe.

Reserves

The total recoverable reserves of the Skogul field are estimated to be around 10 million barrels of oil equivalent (Mboe).

Development Plan

The Skogul oilfield is being developed using a two-lateral production well, which will be drilled from a subsea template tied back to the Vilje field. Oil production will be achieved through depletion and natural aquifer support. The oil and gas produced from the site will be transported to the Alvheim field FPSO via an 18-kilometer-long pipeline for processing. This pipeline features pipe-in-pipe technology and polypropylene-coated steel outer pipes. The development also includes two manifolds, a control system, and umbilicals.

Contractors and Partners

• Aker Solutions has been contracted to provide a subsea production system and conduct subsea works in collaboration with Aker BP and Subsea 7.
• Subsea 7 was awarded the engineering procurement, construction, and installation contract for the Skogul field pipeline, which was installed using the reel-lay method between 2019 and 2020.
• Corinth Pipeworks Pipe Industry was subcontracted by Subsea 7 to manufacture and supply steel pipes for the subsea tie-backs.

Production

First oil from the Skogul field was expected in the first quarter of 2020. The peak production from the field is anticipated to be around 1.4 million barrels of oil. The oilfield’s plan for development and operation (PDO) was initially approved in March 2018.

Infrastructure and Processing

The produced oil and gas are transported to the Alvheim FPSO for processing. The Alvheim FPSO, which has been operating since 2008, has an oil storage capacity of 560,000 barrels. Shuttle tankers transport the stabilized oil from the FPSO to the shore, while gas is transported through a pipeline connecting the Scottish Area Gas Evacuation (SAGE) pipeline system for further transport to the St. Fergus gas terminal in Scotland.

Investment

The estimated investment for the development of the Skogul field is approximately Nkr1.5 billion (around $181 million).