由于全球对石油的需求持续增长，据该项目运营商 Equinor ASA 称，世界上最大的重油项目之一仍在北海推进，尽管面临着比预期更恶劣的天气和其他物流挑战等障碍。

Equinor 发言人 Erik Haaland 在一封电子邮件中告诉 Hart Energy：“Mariner 项目目前正处于海上安装和调试阶段。所有模块都已安装到位，我们正在为开始生产做准备。海上所有工作都集中在为平台启动做好准备上。”

路透社本月早些时候援引熟悉该项目的匿名消息人士的话说，该重油田的投产时间已被推迟到 2019 年第四季度，此前该时间已被多次推迟。哈特能源询问哈兰德时，他提到了“已沟通的计划”，即在 2019 年上半年开始生产。

As the global appetite for oil remains, one of the world’s biggest heavy oil projects is moving forward in the North Sea despite obstacles that have included rougher weather than expected among other logistical challenges, according to its operator, Equinor ASA.

“The Mariner project is now in the hook-up and commissioning phase offshore,” Erik Haaland, a spokesman for Equinor, told Hart Energy in an emailed statement. “All the modules are in place and we are preparing for production start. All work is focused offshore on getting the platform prepared for startup.”

Citing unnamed sources familiar with the project, Reuters reported earlier this month that startup of the heavy oil field had been pushed back to fourth-quarter 2019 after having already been postponed several times. Haaland referred to the “communicated plan” of starting production in first-half 2019 when asked by Hart Energy.