US energy technology company Baker Hughes has been awarded two major contracts for long-term support of Norwegian operator Vår Energi’s offshore exploration logging, well intervention, and subsea production systems.
The first contract is a 9-year agreement for Baker Hughes to provide well intervention services and exploration logging solutions to help the Stavanger-based operator further develop prospects on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).
The second contract is a 15-year agreement for the Houston-based energy services giant to deliver a bespoke vertical tree system for the Balder field and to support Vår’s existing Balder legacy wells and any future developments in the Balder area.
“Baker Hughes has an extensive and successful history of creating value for customers in Norway and the North Sea,” said Maria Claudia Borras, executive vice president of oilfield services and equipment at Baker Hughes.
“The two long-term contract awards from Vår Energi enable us to deploy our superior portfolio not only in well intervention but also in exploration logging and subsea production. Combining our technology, exceptional regional expertise, and dedication to a world-class customer experience ensures successful outcomes for both companies,” she said.
Vår Energi’s Balder X development project, which consist of Balder Future and the Ringhorne Phase IV drilling projects, is set to extend production from the Balder Hub to 2045 and support the development of new nearby discoveries by upgrading existing infrastructure and drilling of new wells. The company’s production target for the project is more than 350,000 BOE/D by the end of 2025.
About 190 km west of Stavanger in the Norwegian North Sea, the Balder Field was discovered in 1967 by Esso Exploration and Production Norway. It was approved for development in 1996 and brought into production in 1999. It was the first field on the NCS to be developed using a permanent floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel.
Included in the Balder complex is the Ringhorne oil field, about 9 km north of the Balder FPSO and developed with a combined accommodation, drilling, and wellhead facility tied back to the Balder FPSO and the Jotun FPSO for processing, crude oil storage, and gas export. Additional fields tied back to the Ringhorne platform include Ringhorne Øst, Ringhorne Jura, and Ringhorne Vest.
Vår Energi holds a 90% working interest, and partner Kistos Energy holds the remaining 10% stake in the production license.
