Environmental Solutions Implemented for the Goliat Offshore Oil Field Development - The First Oil Field Development in the Norwegian Barents Sea

Abstract

Abstract The Goliat field operated by Eni Norge AS, with Statoil Petroleum AS as the only partner, will be the first offshore oil field in the Norwegian Barents Sea and the world's northernmost offshore oil field. The Goliat field is being developed with a geostationary FPSO connected to 8 subsea templates with 22 wells (12 production wells, 7 water injectors and 3 gas injectors). The FPSO is on location and commissioning work is ongoing. The field is located in the south western part of the Barents Sea, relatively close to the coastline. The Barents Sea is a sea area important for a number of fish stocks, sea birds and sea mammals. A number of "Particularly valuable and vulnerable areas" has been identified as part of the work conducted in relation to the update of the "Integrated Management Plan for the Marine Environment of the Barents Sea–Lofoten Area" presented to the Norwegian Parliament in the "White Paper no. 10 (2010–2011). The area has high political focus, especially on oil spill preparedness and environmental issues. Environmental issues have been highly prioritized through all the project phases, in order to fulfill the frame work conditions set for the sea area by Norwegian Authorities and the specific requirements set by the Norwegian Parliament when approving the Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for the Goliat field in 2009. The Goliat development project has developed and implemented new solutions, which will result in improved environmental performance. The paper will address how the Goliat development project has implemented environmental BAT (Best Available Technic) solutions in relation to: Power solution (electrical power from shore in combination with gas turbine on FPSO)Emission to air reduction measures (mininimize GHG (Green House Gases) and other emissions, improved energy efficiency)Reduction of discharge to sea (re-injection of produced water, slop tank size, internal drain system, facility design)Offloading solution (new design)Environment monitoring solution (leak detection)Oil spill preparedness (new concepts in coastal areas) The paper is closely linked to previous SPE papers presenting the Goliat field development, such as SPE paper 156773 "Implementation of the oil spill preparedness for the Goliat offshore oil field development – The first oil field development in the Barents Sea" (1), SPE paper 156795 "Coastal Oil Spill Preparedness Improvement Programme (COSPIP) and Memorandum of Understanding – Comprehensive Joint & Industrial project focusing on coastal oil spill challenges" (2) and SPE paper 126598 "EIA for the Goliat Offshore Oil Field Development. World's northernmost offshore oil development?"(3).