Norway

After producing for 43 years, the Statfjord A platform will cease production in 2022.

Phase 1 of the development today marked the sail-away from Kværner’s yard of the 560-bed living-quarters topside, the largest of its kind in Norway.

A report from Norway’s Auditor General criticizes several aspects of the way health, safety, and the environment in the Norwegian oil and gas industry is followed up by the Petroleum Safety Authority Norway.

In need of an exploration boost, Norway doled out a record 83 production licenses in mature areas of the Norwegian Continental Shelf to 33 firms.

Equinor submitted the development plan for Phase 2 of the Johan Sverdrup project on 27 August with an increased resource estimate and a cut of NOK 6 billion in investment costs.

Norway hopes for a continued rise in offshore exploration and development activity to ensure steady oil and gas production through the next decade.

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway launched an investigation into an LNG leak at the Hammerfest LNG plant on 17 June.

Equinor has grabbed seven new licenses in the Barents and Norwegian Seas, the latest in a flurry of offshore activity in which the firm has added acreage off the UK and Brazil, gained approval for a big Arctic project, and awarded billions of dollars in service contracts.

Figures from a 2017 study on trends in risk level in the petroleum activity show progress for a number of risk indicators. But serious personal injuries are growing, while feedback on the working environment, the HSE climate and perceived risk is moving in the wrong direction.

The cost cuts made during the downturn and the recent increase in oil prices have led to some global offshore projects becoming economically viable. Norway is leading the comeback.