Development

Aasta Hansteen is a field in the northern part of the Norwegian Sea, 120 kilometres northwest of the Norne field. The water depth is 1,270 metres. Aasta Hansteen was discovered in 1997, and the plan for development and production (PDO) was approved in 2013. The field initially comprised three separate deposits: Luva, Haklang and Snefrid Sør. A new deposit was discovered in 2015, Snefrid Nord. The field is developed with a spar platform, a floating installation with a cylindrical column moored to the seabed. The development also includes two subsea templates with four slots each and two subsea templates with one slot each (satellites). The templates are tied-back to the platform through pipelines and steel catenary risers. Aasta Hansteen was granted a PDO exemption for the development of the Snefrid Nord deposit in 2017. Production started in 2018.

Reservoir

The main reservoirs contain gas in Upper Cretaceous sandstone in the Nise Formation, at a depth of 3000 metres. The reservoir quality is good.

Recovery strategy

The field is produced by pressure depletion and natural aquifer drive.

Transport

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

Status

The field is producing at plateau gas rate at present, and low pressure production is being planned for the future. Aasta Hansteen is considered a possible host for nearby discoveries after the field has gone off plateau production. A PDO for the tie-in of the Irpa discovery to Aasta Hansteen was submitted in 2022.