Heimdal is a gas field lying under 120 metres of water in the central North Sea. The field was originally developed using an integrated production, drilling and accommodation facility with a steel jacket.
What does producing life extension involve?
New technology and operating methods as well as measures to improve oil and gas recovery mean that licensees often want to keep existing facilities working past their retirement date.
In many cases, continuing to use facilities beyond their design life makes socio-economic sense. But permitting such extensions at the expense of safety is not acceptable.
Consent has been granted based on Statoil's documentation of assessments which conclude that the facility can continue to be operated safely and responsibly and in compliance with regulatory requirements.