Development

Aasta Hansteen is a field in the northern part of the Norwegian Sea, 120 km northwest of the Norne field. The water depth in the area is 1,270 metres. Aasta Hansteen was discovered in 1997 and the plan for development and production (PDO) was approved in 2013. The field will be developed with a spar platform (a floating installation with a cylindrical column moored to the seabed) and two subsea templates with eight well slots. The subsea templates will be tied-back to the spar platform through pipelines and steel catenary risers. In October 2017, Aasta Hansteen was granted a PDO exemption for the development of Snefrid Nord.

Reservoir

The reservoir contains gas in Cretaceous sandstone in the Nise Formation, at a depth of 3,000 metres. The reservoir quality is good.

Recovery

The field will be produced by pressure depletion and natural aquifer drive.

Transport

Gas from Aasta Hansteen will be transported via the Polarled pipeline to the Nyhamna terminal. Light oil will be offloaded to shuttle tankers and transported to the market.

Status

The topside module was lifted onto the spar column in 2017 and the installation will be towed to the field by mid-2018. The production wells will be pre-drilled in 2018 and production is planned to start at the end of the year. Aasta Hansteen is evaluated as a possible host for nearby discoveries after the field has gone off plateau.