Wintershall Norge has awarded two major subsea contracts for its operated Nova field (formerly Skarfjell) in the Norwegian North Sea. The Subsea Production System (SPS) contract has been awarded to Aker Solutions AS, while the Pipeline and Subsea Construction (PSC) contract has been awarded to Subsea 7 Norway AS. The contracts have a combined value of approximately $230 million. A Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for the Nova field shall be submitted in the first half of 2018. The two awards support the selected development solution for the field as a tieback to the nearby Gjøa platform, and further positions Wintershall as a growth operator in the subsea arena. In 2017, Wintershall successfully took the subsea Maria field into production in the Norwegian Sea, and is operator of the Vega field, which is already tied back to Gjøa.

“A key part of our strategy in Norway is to cost-effectively build our position through smart engineering and through the utilization of existing infrastructure. We believe that working with strong and committed suppliers like Aker Solutions and Subsea 7 helps provide the experience and expertise we need to continue building our strengths as a subsea operator in Norway,” said Hugo Dijkgraaf, Wintershall Norge Managing Director.

Building on the experience from the Maria development

Based on the proposed plan, hydrocarbons from the Nova reservoir will be developed via two subsea templates tied back to the Gjøa platform for processing and export. Gjøa will also provide lift gas to the field and water injection for pressure support. One template will be used for water injection, while the other will be used to produce hydrocarbons.

“These contracts allow us to push towards the execution phase of the project, and build on our strategy of cost effectively developing fields that utilize local infrastructure,” said Andre Hesse, Wintershall Norge Head of the Nova Project.

Nova Subsea Production System (SPS)

Aker Solutions AS will deliver a standardized SPS System for the Nova development. This includes engineering, procurement and construction (EPC). The Nova SPS consists of two template manifolds with their respective trees and well systems. It also includes the integrated service umbilical and the subsea control system.

Nova Pipeline and Subsea Construction (PSC)

Subsea 7 Norway AS will design, procure and install four pipelines linking Nova to Gjøa. These comprise two pipes in pipe production flowlines, riser base structures, a water injection pipeline and the pipeline that will supply lift gas to the field. Furthermore, the contractor will install the SPS structures supplied by Aker Solutions AS, including the subsea templates, subsea manifolds, control umbilicals and auxiliary equipment.

Background information Nova field

Nova was discovered in 2012 and is situated in the Quadrant 35 area in the Norwegian North Sea. The majority of the discovery is located in production license PL 418, with a possible extension into PL 378. In PL 418 Wintershall Norge AS (operator) owns 35 percent, Capricorn Norge AS (part of Cairn Energy PLC) 20 percent, Spirit Energy AS 20 percent, Edison Norge AS 15 percent and DEA Norge AS 10 percent.

About Wintershall Norge AS

Wintershall Norge AS, is one of the largest oil and gas producers in Norway with a daily production of around 100,000 barrels of oil equivalents. The company has an ownership in around 50 licenses on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, whereof over half as operator. In 2017, the production started on the Maria field, which was Wintershall’s first own-operated development on shelf. The next planned development project is Nova (previously Skarfjell). The company is also the operator of the producing fields Brage and Vega. Wintershall Norge AS has around 500 employees and is a part of Wintershall Holding GmbH.

About Wintershall Holding GmbH

Wintershall Holding GmbH, based in Kassel, Germany, is a wholly owned subsidiary of BASF in Ludwigshafen. The company has been active in the extraction of natural resources for 120 years, and in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas for over 85 years. Wintershall focuses on selected core regions where the company has built up a high level of regional and technological expertise. These are Europe, Russia, North Africa, South America, and increasingly the Middle East region. The company wants to expand its business further with exploration and production, selected partnerships, innovation and technological competence. Wintershall employs about 2,000 staff worldwide from 50 nations and is now Germany’s largest, internationally active crude oil and natural gas producer.

About Aker Solutions

Aker Solutions is a global provider of products, systems and services to the oil and gas industry. Its engineering, design and technology bring discoveries into production and maximize recovery. The company employs approximately 14,000 people in about 20 countries.

About Subsea 7 S.A.

Subsea 7 (Oslo Børs: SUBC, ADR: SUBCY) is a leading global contractor in seabed-to-surface engineering, construction and services to the offshore energy industry. Subsea 7 provides technical solutions to enable the delivery of complex projects in all water depths and challenging environments. Subsea 7 S.A. is listed on the Oslo Bors (SUBC), ISIN LU0075646355.