The Valemon gas and condensate accumulation, a 1985 discovery 160km off the coast from Bergen, has estimated recoverable reserves equivalent to 210 million barrels of oil. Development is currently priced at NKr20.4 billion by operator Statoil and its partners Petoro, Centrica and Enterprise.
The Valemon platform is designed to produce about 85,000boe/d. The bulk of reserves about 80% take the form of natural gas, with the remainder as condensate and natural gas liquids.
Two years of pre-drilling is due to start this month to provide four of the 11 production wells currently planned, using a jackup tender rig standing alongside the jacket and the small wellhead module placed on it. There will also be two injection wells one for drill cuttings and the other for produced water.
In mid-2014 the topside being built by Samsung, and likely to weigh about 10,000te, will be lifted on. The completed platform is due onstream by the end of that year. It will be able to treat gas and condensate from future discoveries in the area as well as Valemon itself.
The installation is classed as not normally manned once drilling is completed, although it will have 40 cabins of accommodation. It will be remotely controlled from the Kvitebjorn platform 11km away, which will also supply power by cable. Kvitebjorn will also be the recipient of Valemon's condensate via a new pipeline between the two, with onward transport through the existing network to Mongstad refinery.
The main flow of rich gas from Valemon will go through a new 27km pipe to connect with an existing line and then be transported onward to Heimdal.