Heimdal gas field
| Company type | Natural gas field |
|---|---|
| Industry | Oil and gas industry |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Headquarters | Stavanger , Norway |
| Products | Natural gas, condensate, oil |
| Owner | Equinor (39.44%), Centrica Resources (23.79%), Petoro (20%), TotalFinaElf Exploration Norge AS (16.75%) |
Heimdal () is a natural gas field situated offshore in the North Sea, positioned to the northwest of Stavanger, Norway. It serves as a vital processing and distribution center for gas originating from surrounding satellite fields.
Discovered in 1972, this field is located at a water depth of . Heimdal was developed using an integrated facility that combines drilling, production, and accommodation functions. The installation includes a steel jacket and a riser system that was added in 1999. Gas extracted here is transported to processing terminals at Kårstø and St. Fergus in Scotland. After establishing the Heimdal gas center, a new pipeline was linked to the existing route from the Frigg gas field to St. Fergus. Moreover, gas is delivered to the Grane oil field for reinjection purposes, while condensate is conveyed to the Brae oilfield. Heimdal also receives gas supplies from the Oseberg field center, which are then forwarded through the Statpipe network.
Ownership
The operator of the Heimdal field is Equinor. The ownership consortium consists of Equinor (39.44%), Centrica Resources (23.79%), Petoro (20%), and TotalFinaElf Exploration Norge AS (16.75%). Initially managed by Norsk Hydro, operational control transferred to Equinor following Hydro’s asset handover. In 2008, Centrica acquired Marathon Oil’s shareholding for $416 million. Investments in Heimdal have totaled approximately 19 billion Norwegian krone.
Reservoir
The reservoir at Heimdal consists of Heimdal Formation sandstones found at an estimated depth of . The recoverable gas reserves are assessed to be around 44.6 billion cubic meters.
Production
The Heimdal Gas Center handles roughly 15–20% of Norway’s total gas exports. Satellite fields such as Vale, Byggve, and Skirne are connected to Heimdal through subsea well tie-ins. Since its discovery in 1972 and production commencement in 1986, Heimdal had produced 46 billion standard cubic meters of gas and 7 million standard cubic meters of oil by January 2019. The Veslefrikk field, operational since 1989, has yielded over 400 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE).
Decommissioning
The phased dismantling of the Heimdal and Veslefrikk A platforms is planned to conclude by 2025. Equinor appointed Heerema Marine Contractors to carry out the removal and recycling of topsides and jackets for the Heimdal riser platform, main platform, and Veslefrikk A platform on behalf of Gassco and license holders.
The partners involved with Veslefrikk intend to permanently cease operations in spring 2022, with well abandonment activities already in progress. A decommissioning strategy has been submitted, with final decisions regarding shutdown timing and initiation of removal scheduled to be made by Heimdal partners during the summer.