Upgrading the Ekofisk field for 40 new years in operation

It was at Ekofisk the Norwegian oil adventure started when it was discovered in 1969 and it is one of the largest fields at the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The test production startet in 1971. At the same day as ConocoPhillips celebrated 40 years anniversary for the startup of the field, the Norwegian parliament approved the development plans for Ekofisk South and Eldfisk II. This was the 9th June 2011. ConocoPhillips started the work of upgrading Ekofisk for antoher 40 years in operation. Three large developmentprojects were put in process. One accomodation- and fieldcentre platform at Ekofisk 2/4 L, wellhead platform on Ekofisk 2/4 Z and the Eldfisk II project.

Ekofisk South 
Ekofisk 2/4 L is an accomodation and fieldcentre platform that replaced the livingquarterplatforms Ekofisk 2/4 H and Ekofisk 2/4 Q, in addition a rented hotelrig. The platform was installed in August 2013 and is connected with the wellheadplatform Ekofisk 2/4 M with a bridge. It has 552 beds in single cabins and is the largest hotelplatform in the Northsea. It is also centre for telecommunication and coordination of air- and sea transport. it is also the most important helicopter landing place in the whole Ekofisk area.

Ekofisk 2/4 Z is a wellheadplatform with 35 productionwells and a seabedinstallation for eight waterinjection wells. The platform was installed in the summer of 2013 and was in operations in October the same year. It has a bridgeconnection to the Ekofisk Centre.

Eldfisk II

The Eldfisk-field started production in 1979 and ConocoPhillips is operator with an owner share of 35,11 percent. The field also contains gas. The filed has four platforms where three of these is connected with bridges. The Eldfisk II project will contribute to the extended lifetime of 40 years in production. The integrated platform Eldfisk 2/7 S will be in production in 2014/2015 and includes an accomodation module, process fabric and a wellhead facility.

Subsea

A new subsea installation for weater injection will also be constructed, Ekofisk 2/4 VB, and extensive modifications on existing platforms and infrastructure. New piplines and drilling of several new wells on Ekofisk and Eldfisk will contribute to continued high added value. The work involves laying of new permanent seismic cables.

The total costs for these projcest was in 2011 estimated to 83 billion Norwegian krones. The two largest construction projects was performed at Stord and in Egersund. 83% of the contract value was awarded to Norwegian companies. Some contracts went to foreign companies, such as part of the constuctionwork took place in Finland, Poland, Spain and Singapore. VBS Consult signed a frameagreement with ConocoPhillips in July 2011 for delivery of HS&E personnel for the project.

Fornebu

The project management for Ekofisk 2/7 S was established at Aker Solutions in Fornebu. In mid-August 2011 started one of our consultants as Company Representative within Safety at Fornebu for the construction project of the new wellhead, processing and accommodation platform on Eldfisk field. The tasks which were to follow up HSE in the Commissioning organization which would test out the constructed platform. This meant that the group obtained knowledge of and were taught to comply with the procedures and rules that the work demanded. In addition he was system responsible for testing of safety equipment on the platform: Lifeboat, escape stocking and fleet, firefighter container etc. Our man also had the role of Work Permit Coordinator for the commissioning group in Poland and Stord.

VBS goes offshore

Our first offshore crew were established and sent out on Eldfisk in November 2011. Our team consisted of three Safety Advisors with different experience. Two HS&E engineers had backgrounds from industry and construction as well as several years of HS&E experience in processing plant onshore. The third advisor had over 20 years experience in offshore scaffolding, crane and rigging as well as HS&E. These three constituted a great team that complemented each other well.

On the existing installations there have been carried out modifications for upgrading and improvement of facilities and system for continued operation. New pipelines on the seabed are also part of this project.
Eldfisk 2/7 S was lifted into place by Saipem 7000 in May 2014. The hook-up will last out the year and maybe even longer. The new integrated platform, with the wellhead, processing and living quarters with 154 single cabins have a bridge to  the Eldfisk 2/7 E on the Eldfisk Center. The topside will be in production in 2015.

Turku, Finland
The cabins for the accomodation module on Eldfisk 2/7 S was built at the STX shipyard in Turku. Our HS&E advisor started on this project in February 2012. It was absolutely necessary to have a strong focus on HSE to comply with NORSOK standard. The HS&E activities went very well even with a workforce of 750 people working at the yard at the same time. Work on the module was completed in Finland in April 2013 and was then sent to Bergen for completion there.

Poland

Our man in Poland had to take a few weeks at Fornebu in early 2012 for an introduction to the project and the systems. Then he continued his work on no less than three different shipyards in Poland: Energomontaz-Pólnoc Gdynia (EPG), Vistal Gdynia and Mostotal Pomorse in Gdansk. Teh scope in Poland included the construction of two bridges with a length of respectively 50 and 115 meters, bridge support module, flare at 115 meters steel sections for use in the process and wellhead area Eldfisk 2/7 S. Some of the work that should be done in Finland was transferred to Poland. They mounted the bridges, along with bridge support and the flare tower, was completed here and sent directly into the sea. The other modules were sent to Stord for completion. The work in Poland was completed in the spring of 2013.

Egersund
Byggingen av Ekofisk 2/4 Z ble gjort på Aker sitt verft i Egersund. Der var det 400 polske arbeidere i sving. På grunn av dette hadde vi en polsk talende sikkerhetsrådgiver der under byggeprosjektet av den nye boreplattformen som også blir kalt Ekofisk Zulu. Plattformen ble sendt ut i Nordsjøen på vårparten i 2013 og satt i drift i oktober 2013.

Construction of the Ekofisk 2/4 Z was made at the Aker yard in Egersund. There were 400 Polish workers in this project. Because of this we had a Polish-speaking Safety Advisor in this construction project of the new drilling platform also called Ekofisk Zulu. The platform was sent into the North Sea in the spring of 2013 and started operation in October 2013.

Forus

The onshore organization for the Ekofisk 2/4 L was in Forus. Our Safety Advisor had oversight of offshore crew, follow up on the commissioning organization and was responsible for testing of safety equipment on the rig.

Stord

Eldfisk 2/7 S is an integrated platform of wellhead, processing and accomodation with 154 single cabins. Kvaerner was awarded the contract for the construction and commissioning of the platform was carried out on the yard at Stord. Our Safety Advisor who had been on the project in Poland, flollowed the modules to Stord and continued his work there. So did our Safety Advisor at Fornebu. In addition, we got assignment for another HS&E Advisor at Kværner during this period. Our three HS&E advisors had busy days at the shipyard. In the summer of 2013 there were 2,000 workers at Stord to complete the topside. The different modules were connected together and further testing of systems, documentation and preparation was carried out druing the spring of 2014. On 16 May 2014 the Eldfisk 2/7 S was towed from Stord and out to sea. The distance is 300 km out to Eldfisk field in the Ekofisk area.

Major lifting operations

We got the challenge to find a HS&E Advisor who would be working intensely for six months and have the rest of the year free. Due to weather conditions in the North Sea lifting operations shuould be performed during the summer. Thus, the project needed someone who could go in 14/14 rotation in the summertime. This had to be one with good knowledge of lifting operations and who had a solid background in HS&E. The perfect candidate was localized and soon after he joined the project. First he was sent to Aker Verdal for a shorter period before he began his intense summer at the world’s second largest crane vessel Saipem 7000. The assignment in 2012 was heavy lifting operations both in English and Norwegian sectors of the North Sea. In the 2013 summer campaign Saipem 7000 had lots to do on Eldfisk. A milestone was reached when the 96-meter high and 13,000-ton jacket of Ekofisk 2/7 S platform was lifted into place in May 2013. In August the same year, the 11,500-ton hotelplatform Ekofisk 2/4 L lifted into place after a long journey from SMOE shipyard in Singapore. The integrated Eldfisk 2/7 S was completed at Stord and sailed out to sea on 16 May 2014. Few days later it was hoisted into place on Eldfisk. In the first picture we see Saipem 7000 headed into the main part of the platform. On the second picture the lifting of the helideck and accommodation module started. The last image is from the morning of May 20 in which the modules are lifted into place.

Cessation

Ekofisk I Cessation project involved the closure and removal of a total of nine platforms. This is so far the largest offshore completion project in the North Sea. Our HS&E Advisor had responsibilities both offshore and onshore. On land, the work was divided between two locations, Tananger and Vats. The first summer campaign offshore began in June 2012 and took place on board the crane vessel Balder owned by Heerema in Leiden, Netherlands. The project on Edda entailed removal of steel structures and bringing the sections to Vats for scrapping and recycling. On Delta they performed underwater work ia Seabed survey and cut some bracing and a pair of legs. The ALBA got the preparations for next year’s campaign and cut and taken aboard 17 conductors of 90 meters each. These were divided into 3 and taken on board. The campaign in 2013 consisted of disconnect, lift, and carry several large sections of abandoned installations in the Ekofisk field. Modules and sections were fractionated and cut up through the fall, winter and spring at a facility on land while providing ongoing cleanup of the seabed where the installations were.

HS&E focus

Hovedfokuset for våre folk har vært sikker arbeidsutførelse, og på den måten eliminere skader på personer, utstyr og miljø. Alle våre HMS- rådgivere og ledere jobber mot å nå kundens mål gjennom opplæring og veiledning oppmuntre HMS gruppen og alle involverte i prosjektet til å nå tilfredsstillende HMS-resultater. VBS Consult er utrolig stolt over våre fantastiske konsulenter som er så gode ambassadører for både selskapet og HMS-faget og som har bidratt til denne historiske opprustningen for fortsettelsen av det norske oljeeventyret.

The main focus of our people have been safe work performance, thereby eliminating damage to people, equipment and environment. All our HS&E advisors and managers strive to achieve client objectives through training and guidance to encourage the HSE group and everyone involved in the project to achieve satisfactory safety results. VBS Consult is incredibly proud of our wonderful consultants who are so good ambassadors for both the company and the HS&E profession. They have all contributed to this historic enhancement in the continuation of the Norwegian oil adventure.

For more photos see: http://vbs-consult.no/bilder-fra-ekofiskeldfisk-oppgraderingen/

Kilder: ConocoPhillips, Stavanger Aftenblad, Offshore.no and our own employees.