Development of Gjøa 

Gjøa lies in blocks 35/9 and 36/7. The field was proven in 1989. Reserves are estimated to be 82 million barrels of oil and condensate and 40 billion cubic metres of gas.

Gas will be transported in the British pipeline Flags to St. Fergus in Scotland and oil will be piped via a tie-in to the Troll II pipeline and further to the StatoilHydro-operated Mongstad refinery near Bergen.

Gjøa, including the Vega satellite development, is the largest project in the North Sea today.

With Gjøa, a new part of the North Sea is being opened for oil and gas production. StatoilHydro is operator in the development phase of Gjøa. Gaz de France Norge will assume operatorship at production start up.

The Gjøa field is being developed with a semi-submersible production platform and five sub-sea templates. Gjøa's recoverable reserves are some 82 million barrels of oil and condensate and roughly 40 billion standard cubic metres of gas.

Vega's recoverable reserves are estimated at 26 million barrels of condensate and 18 billion standard cubic metres of gas.

Floating electrification

The Gjøa platform in the North Sea will be the first floating platform to get its electricity from the mainland. This will mean a reduction in emissions to the environment of 250,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.

Electrifying new installations on the Norwegian continental shelf is one of the most important measures to reduce further carbon emissions from Norwegian oil and gas production.

With the electrification of the Troll A platform and Kollsnes and the decision to electrify Gjøa, StatoilHydro is a front runner with a view to reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide.

Gjøa is expected to come on stream in 2010. A cable running from the new power plant at Mongstad, north of Bergen, will supply the platform with electricity.