Development

Gudrun is a field in the central part of the North Sea, 50 kilometres north of the Sleipner Øst field. The water depth is 110 metres. Gudrun was discovered in 1975, and the plan for development and operation (PDO) was approved in 2010. The field is developed with a steel jacket and a topside with process facility and living quarters. Gudrun is tied-back to the Sleipner A facility with two pipelines, one for oil and one for wet gas. A PDO exemption was granted for the discovery 15/3-9 in 2013.Production started in 2014.

Status

Production from Gudrun has started to decline. Work is ongoing to maximise recovery from the field by infill drilling, and additional infill targets are being matured. The facility will be operated with power from shore starting in 2023, as part of the electrification of the Utsira High area. Nearby discoveries and prospects may prove sufficient resources for development and tie-in to Gudrun.

Reservoir

Gudrun produces oil and gas from sandstone in the Upper Jurassic Draupne Formation and the Middle Jurassic Hugin Formation. The reservoir quality in the Draupe Formation, which constitutes the main recoverable resources, is in general good. The Hugin Formation has larger variation in reservoir quality. The reservoirs lie at depths of 4,000-4,700 metres.

Transport

Unstable oil and rich gas are transported in separate pipelines to the Sleipner A facility for further processing. Dry gas is exported via Gassled (Area D) to the market, while oil is transported to the Kårstø terminal.

Recovery strategy

The field is mainly produced by pressure depletion. In 2022, water injection started in part of the field.