Oseberg Vestflanke is part of the Oseberg field and has been developed using subsea facilities tied back to the Oseberg field centre. The plan for development and operation (PDO) for Oseberg Vestflanke was approved in 2003.
Production began in 2005 and was expected to finish in 2014. Statoil, the field's operator, now estimates that Oseberg Vestflanke will be able to produce until around 2025, and has accordingly applied for consent for continued use.
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.
The PSA has given Statoil consent to use subsea facilities, pipelines and control cables at Oseberg Vestflanke until 31 December 2025.
A consent for use beyond the originally planned life entails that the PSA is of the opinion that the applicant has demonstrated having oversight of the technical conditions and has plans for maintenance and follow-up, such that the facilities and equipment may continue to be operated in compliance with regulatory requirements.