Statoil used the world’s second largest crane vessel, Saipem 7000, to lift and transport the 10,600-ton topsides module from Aibel’s shipyard in Haugesund, Norway on Wednesday, 17 July. Transit to the Gudrun field, in license area PL025 of the Norwegian North Sea, took 25 hours.
Statoil's Øyvind Haugsdal, transport and installation manager for the Gudrun project, said “The operation has been safe and efficient with favourable sea conditions...It was an incredible feeling to watch it all go as planned.”
The Saipem 7000 was previously employed to lift Gudrun's 7400-tonne steel jacket into place on the seabed, secured on twelve 60m piles, in July-August 2011. The water depth is 357ft. The jacket was built at Kvaerner's yard in Verdal, Norway.
On Thursday, 18 July, the topsides were finally lifted onto the jacket.
Production will begin in 2014, 40 years after the field's discovery.
Oil will be produced from upper Jurassic Draupne formation, and natural gas from the middle Jurassic Hugin formation.
After processing at Gudrun, the hydrocarbons will be sent via pipeline about 55 km south to the Sleipner-A platform.
Statoil is the operator (75%) and GDF SUEZ E&P Norge is the sole partner (25%).
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