Equinor’s application to prolong the technical lifetime for the Åsgard A facility in the Norwegian Sea has been approved by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, extending production up to 12 years longer than was originally planned.

The Åsgard A floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) arrived on field and began producing in 1999, and its original technical lifetime was based on 20 years of operation expiring in 2019.

Åsgard A contributes to the recovery of the remaining liquid reserves in Smørbukk and Smørbukk Sør, as most of the gas injection wells on these fields are tied in to Åsgard A and will rely on the gas injection from Åsgard A through the 2020s, NPD said.

The licensees are also said to be considering new drilling targets and wells linked to Åsgard A both in the shorter and longer term, and they will be important measures to promote improved recovery.

Additional measures to improve recovery are also being planned. A project involving low wellhead pressure has an expected start-up date in 2022.

Recovery of Trestakk as well as the Blåbjørn discovery depends on an extended lifetime for Åsgard A.