STAVANGER, Norway – Statoil has agreed to sell stakes in various assets in the Norwegian and North seas to Wintershall for $1.3 billion.
These comprise 24% of the Aasta Hansteen field development, 19% of two licenses that contain the Asterix discovery, and an undisclosed interest in the new long-distance Polarled pipeline (all in the Norwegian Sea), plus Statoil’s entire interests in the Gjøa field (operated by GDF Suez) and the satellite Vega field.
Statoil’s production from Gjøa and Vega totaled 22,000 boe/d during the first half of 2014.
The Norwegian operator has committed to spend $20 billion annually during 2014-2016 which includes Norwegian mega-projects Aasta Hansteen, Gina Krog, Johan Sverdrup, and Johan Castberg. It also plans to drill 50 exploration wells worldwide this year.
Elsewhere in the Norwegian North Sea, Petroleum Safety Authority Norway has sanctioned Gassco to use the new rich gas pipeline between the Statoil-operated Valemon field (which is close to start-up) and the riser facility at the Heimdal field.
The 177-km (110-mi) pipeline system takes in both the Valemon line and the Huldra rich gas pipeline, which runs from the Valemon gas pipeline connection point to the Heimdal tie-in point.
Valemon is 10 km (6.2 mi) west of the Kvitebjørn field in the northern Norwegian North Sea. It has been developed using a fixed production platform with a steel jacket. The platform will be tied back to Kvitebjørn through a condensate pipeline and to Heimdal through the gas line, which Gassco will operate