The Ærfugl project shows how profitable developments go hand in hand with low CO2 emissions.
Aker BP manages natural resources to create value. This is why Aker BP is maximising value by utilising available resources in the best possible manner, keeping costs low and emissions at a minimum. To reach these goals, the people in Aker BP always strive to outperform themselves by always doing their very best and always seeking improvement. The Ærfugl project is an excellent example of what they do and how they do it.
Delivered as promised
Ærfugl is an almost 60-kilometre-long narrow gas and condensate field in the Norwegian Sea. It is located near the Skarv field, about 200 kilometres west of Sandnessjøen.
On 12 November 2020, operator Aker BP and partners Equinor, Wintershall Dea and PGNiG reported that production had started from Ærfugl Phase 1. This was on the same date as promised in the Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) in 2017.
Aker BP, along with its alliance partners, suppliers and licence partners has not only completed the project safely, efficiently, on time and within budget during a time with a “black swan”; COVID-19 and a substantial decline in the price of oil; it has also achieved major improvements since the PDO was approved, including significantly accelerated development of Phase 2, from 2023 to 2021, and improved project economy.
Lower break-even
Ærfugl is the first new field tied back to Skarv, and it is expected to increase the gross asset production from around 85,000 to 140-150,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
When Ærfugl Phase 2 is completed, the CO2 emissions per produced barrel of oil equivalent on Skarv will be reduced by up to 30 per cent by 2022. This is due to the increased share of production from Ærfugl. In addition, the production from Ærfugl comes in at high inlet pres-sure before processing, which eliminates the need to run an extra compressor to export the gas to the pipeline.