All Set to Develop Valemon
The plan for development and operation of the Valemon gas and condensate field in the North Sea was approved by the Norwegian parliament last week. Production start-up is planned for 2014. Gas from the Valemon field will be transported via Heimdal to the European markets. The condensate will be piped via Kvitebjørn to the Mongstad refinery near Bergen. The Valemon field is one of Statoil’s largest development projects on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) in the next few years.
The recoverable reserves are estimated at 206 million barrels of oil equivalent – including 26 billion cubic metres of gas, five million cubic metres of condensate and one million cubic metres of natural gas liquids (NGL). The partners will invest almost NOK 20 billion in the platform, pipelines and production wells.
Remotely Controlled
Development of Valemon involves a fixed platform with a steel jacket for the separation of gas, condensate and water. The normally unmanned platform will be remotely controlled from the Kvitebjørn platform when drilling operations are completed in 2016/17. Gas from Valemon will be transported via the existing pipeline from Huldra to Heimdal, a hub which enables the gas to be exported to European markets.The condensate will be piped to Kvitebjørn for stabilisation and further transport to the Mongstad refinery in Hordaland.
Spare Capacity
At peak, Valemon is expected to produce approximately three billion cubic metres of gas annually. “Production from Valemon will enable us to utilise spare capacity in the processing facilities on the Kvitebjørn and Heimdal platforms. Meanwhile, the platform and transport systems provide an excellent basis for the development of further oil and gas fields in the area” , says Statoil senior vice president of NCS field development Ivar Aasheim. The Valemon reservoir is complicated because it is fragmented, but also because of its high pressure and high temperature.
The Valemon field is located in the North Sea between Kvitebjørn and Gullfaks South, roughly 160 km west of Bergen.