The Norwegian company of the PGNiG Group, together with the other licence partners, have completed an important stage of preparations for launch of production from the Duva field in the Norwegian Sea. A tree system has been installed on the seabed to monitor and control production. The installation was carried out from the deck of a vessel instead of the usual installation from the drilling rig. This helped to materially shortened the installation time and, consequently, reduce costs by approximately USD 12m, with a 60% reduction of carbon dioxide emissions associated with the entire operation.

“Installation of subsea trees from the vessel is much more demanding in terms of logistics than installation from the drilling rig, but it brings measurable benefits, including environmental ones. To us, it is a very important factor. We are determined to take further steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with our operations, thus improving the environmental characteristics of natural gas along the entire value chain,” said Paweł Majewski, President of the PGNiG Management Board. “I would like to congratulate all the licence partners on the successful installation of the subsea trees and the benefits obtained thanks to this operation,” Mr Majewski added.

Duva is an oil and gas field. According to the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, its reserves amount to 88 mboe (including approximately 8.4 bcm of natural gas). Upon launch of production, the maximum daily output from the field is expected to reach approximately 30,000 boe in the initial period. Production is scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2021.

PGNiG Upstream Norway holds a 30% interest in the licences for the Duva field. In July 2019, the company acquired a 20% interest, and in November 2019 – another 10% interest. The other licenc partners are Neptune Energy (operator of the field, 30% interest), Idemitsu Petroleum Norge (30%) and Sval Energi (10%).

Gas production by PGNiG Upstream Norway is projected to reach over 0.9 bcm in 2021, compared with 0.5 bcm in 2020. The significant increase in production is driven by the launch of production from the Ærfugl field and the acquisition of interests in the already producing fields. Currently, the company produces crude oil and natural gas from nine fields: Skarv, Morvin, Vale, Vilje, Gina Krog, Skogul and Ærfugll,Kvitebjørn and Valemon, while development and assessment work is under way on five more deposits: Duva, Tommeliten Alpha, King Lear, Ærfugl Outer and Shrek. PGNiG Upstream Norway holds interests in 36 licences on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.