Bold decisions

Could the sea floor on the Ormen Lange field stand a full-scale subsea development? Significant seabed studies laid the foundation for a bold decision.

The seabed on Ormen Lange was mapped with autonomous, unmanned submarines with a level of precision of a few centimeters.

(Foto: StatoilHydro)

Einar Kilde began working on the Ormen Lange project in the summer of 2003. At this point the project had been through a creative phase where different concepts for development were considered. These included solutions to develop the field with subsea installations, as well as using a traditional platform. It was also open as to whether the gas should be transported ashore for processing, or whether it should be transported in pipes straight to Britain.

“In the early phases of this type of project, it is important to be extremely flexible,” explains Kilde, “to ensure that good ideas are able to flourish.

This increases our chances of coming up with the best development solutions. The innovation phase concludes with the so-called DG3 (“decision gate”), which is a milestone in the decision-making process when the final choice of development solution is made.”

The subsea landscape on Ormen Lange is rough.

(Foto: StatoilHydro)

The project is then elevated to another track. The development application must now be studied in depth, no stone must be left unturned, it must be decided whether the project is profitable. This requires another way of working than in the early phases.

Kilde joined when the Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) was to be completed and presented to the Storting, the partners and the company’s senior management.

They had reached DG4. The final decision regarding development would now be taken.

When we submitted the PDO we were reasonably certain that this was a totally viable project, says Kilde. Nevertheless it was a highlight when the PDO was approved 2 April 2004.

Now it was just a matter of getting started.

A technological adventure

New technology made it possible to develop Ormen Lange with subsea installations.

There is no Web named "/en/OurOperations/ExplorationProd/ncs/OrmenLange".
at Microsoft.SharePoint.Library.SPRequestInternalClass.OpenWebInternal(String bstrUrl, Guid& pguidID, String& pbstrRequestAccessEmail, UInt32& pwebVersion, String& pbstrServerRelativeUrl, UInt32& pnLanguage, UInt32& pnLocale, String& pbstrDefaultTheme, String& pbstrDefaultThemeCSSUrl, String& pbstrAlternateCSSUrl, String& pbstrCustomizedCssFileList, String& pbstrCustomJSUrl, String& pbstrAlternateHeaderUrl, String& pbstrMasterUrl, String& pbstrCustomMasterUrl, String& pbstrSiteLogoUrl, String& pbstrSiteLogoDescription, Object& pvarUser, Boolean& pvarIsAuditor, Int32& plSiteFlags) at Microsoft.SharePoint.Library.SPRequest.OpenWebInternal(String bstrUrl, Guid& pguidID, String& pbstrRequestAccessEmail, UInt32& pwebVersion, String& pbstrServerRelativeUrl, UInt32& pnLanguage, UInt32& pnLocale, String& pbstrDefaultTheme, String& pbstrDefaultThemeCSSUrl, String& pbstrAlternateCSSUrl, String& pbstrCustomizedCssFileList, String& pbstrCustomJSUrl, String& pbstrAlternateHeaderUrl, String& pbstrMasterUrl, String& pbstrCustomMasterUrl, String& pbstrSiteLogoUrl, String& pbstrSiteLogoDescription, Object& pvarUser, Boolean& pvarIsAuditor, Int32& plSiteFlags) at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPWeb.InitWebPublic() at Microsoft.SharePoint.SPWeb.get_ServerRelativeUrl() at Microsoft.SharePoint.Publishing.CachedArea.GetAreaId(SPWeb web) at Microsoft.SharePoint.Publishing.PublishingWeb.get_PagesListId() at Microsoft.SharePoint.Publishing.PublishingWeb.GetPublishingPages() at Statoil.WCW.WebParts.SinglePagePromotionWebPart.GetPromotion() at Statoil.WCW.WebParts.SinglePagePromotionWebPart.Render(HtmlTextWriter writer) at Statoil.WCW.WebParts.BaseWebPart.RenderWebPart(HtmlTextWriter writer) at Statoil.WCW.WebParts.PolicyInterceptableWebPartBase.Render(HtmlTextWriter writer)

Published 2007-09-26, 14:47 CET | Updated 2007-09-29, 22:31 CET

TIP A FRIEND

Printer Friendly

News & Media

Bold decisions

Read more about the subsea technology on Ormen Lange

A technological adventure

TIP A FRIEND