Norway

Balder Field

Balder is an oilfield situated in the central part of the North Sea, with a water depth of 125 meters. Discovered in 1967, its initial Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) was approved in 1996, leading to commencement of production in 1999. The field’s infrastructure comprises subsea wells connected to the Balder production, storage, and offloading vessel (FPSO). The nearby Ringhorne deposit, located nine kilometres north of the Balder FPSO, is part of the Balder complex. Ringhorne is developed with a combined accommodation, drilling, and wellhead facility, tied-back to the Balder FPSO for processing, crude oil storage, and gas export. Ringhorne Øst, a nearby field, is also tied-back to Balder via the Ringhorne platform. The PDO for Ringhorne Jura was approved in 2000, with production start-up in 2003. The Ringhorne Vest PDO exemption was approved in 2003 and started production in 2004. An amended PDO for Ringhorne was approved in 2007.

Balder, including Ringhorne, produces oil from various sandstone deposits of Jurassic, Paleocene, and Eocene age. Balder produces from the Heimdal and Hermod Formations as well as from the injected sand complex above them. Ringhorne produces from the Hugin, Ty, and Hermod Formations. The reservoirs are of good to very good quality. The Balder reservoir is at a depth of 1700 meters, while the Ringhorne reservoir is at a depth of 1,900 meters.

A revised PDO for Balder and Ringhorne was approved in 2020, aiming for lifetime extension and relocation of the Jotun FPSO, alongside predrilling 15 new subsea wells. The Jotun FPSO is currently undergoing maintenance and upgrades at a shipyard, with most wells drilled and awaiting hookup. Excess gas is being injected into the Balder and Ringhorne Øst fields while waiting for the Jotun FPSO to be on station offshore. Ongoing projects are focused on maximizing recovery from the field by utilizing available infrastructure.

Ringhorne Øst Field

Ringhorne Øst is a field located in the central part of the North Sea, six kilometres northeast of the Balder field, with a water depth of 130 meters. Discovered in 2003, its PDO was approved in 2005, leading to production start-up in 2006.

Developed with four production wells drilled from the Ringhorne wellhead platform, it produces oil with associated gas from Jurassic sandstone in the Statfjord Group. The reservoir, at a depth of 1940 meters, is of very good quality. In its tail production phase, plans for a new infill well are underway. Additionally, the recent approval of an amended PDO for Balder and Ringhorne in 2020 promises prolonged field lifetime and increased production capacity, benefiting Ringhorne Øst.