Valemon

Valemon Field Profile

Location and Geology

• The Valemon field is situated in the northern part of the North Sea, just west of the Kvitebjørn field. The water depth at this location is approximately 135 metres.
• The field produces gas and condensate from reservoirs in the Lower Jurassic sandstone of the Cook Formation and Middle Jurassic sandstone of the Brent Group. The reservoirs are at depths of 3900-4200 metres and are characterized by high temperature and high pressure (HTHP) conditions.

Discovery and Development

• The Valemon field was discovered in 1985. The plan for development and operation (PDO) was approved in 2011.
• The field is developed using a fixed production platform with a simplified separation process design. The platform is remotely controlled from an operations centre onshore.

Production

• Production at the Valemon field began in 2015. The field is produced by pressure depletion, which involves extracting the hydrocarbons without injecting fluids to maintain reservoir pressure.
• Initially, the gas was exported to the Heimdal facility, but after its closure in 2023, the gas export was permanently rerouted via the Kvitebjørn field to the Kollsnes terminal.

Transport and Processing

• The wellstream from Valemon is transported to the Kvitebjørn field for processing. Rich gas is then transported through the Kvitebjørn Gas Pipeline to the Kollsnes terminal, while condensate is transported via a pipeline tied to the Troll Oil Pipeline II and further to the Mongstad terminal.
• The gas is processed at the Kollsnes terminal, where dry gas is separated from the rich gas for onward transport to receiving terminals in continental Europe and the UK.

Current Status

• Due to production experience and rapid pressure decline in the reservoirs, the estimated recoverable volumes have been significantly reduced since the PDO approval. A second drilling campaign, which included four new production wells, started in 2021, with the last well coming on stream in mid-2023. However, the production contribution from these new wells has been below expectations.

Reserves and Production Estimates

• The field is estimated to contain approximately 192 million barrels of oil equivalent, making it one of the significant gas fields in the region.

Operators and Partners

• The operator of the Valemon field is Equinor (previously known as Statoil). The field is developed in partnership with other companies, although the specific partners are not detailed in the provided sources.

Infrastructure and Regulation

• The gas transport infrastructure is managed by Gassco, a 100% state-owned company that operates the gas transport system, including the pipelines and processing plants. Gassled, a joint venture, owns most of the gas infrastructure on the Norwegian continental shelf and ensures efficient gas transport by avoiding conflicts of interest.

In summary, the Valemon field is a significant gas and condensate field in the North Sea, developed with advanced technology to manage its HTHP reservoirs. Despite initial production challenges, it remains an important part of Norway's oil and gas production landscape.