Vår Energi starts up low-pressure compression on North Sea Gjøa platform

Operator Vår Energi has successfully modified the compressor systems on the Gjøa platform in the Norwegian North Sea.

The low-pressure project should allow the wells to produce from the Gjøa Field in PL153 for longer and at higher rates, the company said, increasing the remaining recoverable reserves 25%, or a further 6.3 MMboe.

Production has already risen from 35,000 boe/d to 41,000 boe/d following the restart. And the field’s economic productive life should be two to three years longer, with a payback on the investment of less than six months.

“By using off-the-shelf technology, we are not only boosting production and remaining recoverable volumes from the Gjøa Field, we are also prolonging the economic lifetime of the other producing fields Duva, Vega and Nova that are tied into the Gjøa platform.”

—Torger Rød, COO, Vår Energi

The platform modifications have been designed to enhance production from all related producing satellite fields. Work took place as part of a planned maintenance shutdown to lessen the impact on daily operations.

Aker Solutions performed the concept select studies with work offshore managed by Rosenberg Worley. Low-pressure production began in September. 

Earlier this year, Vår Energi said it is maturing three oil and gas discoveries for a planned subsea development that will be tied back to the Gjøa platform.

Other partners in the Gjøa license, which started production in 2010, are Petoro, Harbour Energy Norge and OKEA.