The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has granted consent for the Oseberg H facility to start production in September. 

Oseberg H is a new unmanned wellhead platform that is part of the Oseberg vestflanken 2 development project in the North Sea. The consent has been given to the licensees in the Oseberg area unit. Equinor is the operator.

Oseberg H is a new type of facility on the Norwegian Shelf, and the NPD finds it positive that the licensees have developed a new, cost-effective development solution with an unmanned wellhead platform.

The Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for Oseberg vestflanken 2 was approved in June 2016. In addition to Oseberg H with its associated pipelines and umbilical, the plan includes continued use of the G4 subsea template, along with modifications on the Oseberg field centre. 

Planned investments in the PDO totalled NOK 8.2 billion. The costs have subsequently been reduced to NOK 6.5 billion. This naturally also contributes to enhancing the socio-economic value.

The development increases the recoverable reserves in Oseberg by 17.6 million standard cubic metres of oil equivalents (Sm3) – 9.9 Sm3 oil (62 million barrels) and 7.8 billion Sm3 gas).