Gas exports from Statoil’s Visund platform in the North Sea began on 7 October following conversion of this installation to deliver up to five billion cubic metres of gas per year.
Production was scheduled to start on 1 October, but poor weather and high waves prevented remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs) from opening the seabed valves.
The Visund gas project has been delivered on time and at a cost of NOK 1.75 billion – about NOK 500 million below the estimate in the plan for development and operation.
Some two billion cubic metres of gas are due to be exported per year from the field up to 2011.
Deliveries will then be increased towards five billion annually because less gas will be needed for injection.
Oil production, which has been under way on Visund since the spring of 1999, also resumed on 7 October after a shut-down for the conversion project.
Statoil took over as operator of Visund from Norsk Hydro on 1 January 2003.