Statoil, on behalf of the Njord license, awarded a NOK 1.3 billion ($168 million) contract to Aibel to upgrade the Njord Bravo floating storage and offloading (FSO) vessel in the Norwegian Sea.

The FSO will be prepared for extended operation of the Njord and Hyme fields, as well as tie-in of two new field developments in the Norwegian Sea, Bauge and Fenja.

The job involves extensive vessel upgrades and maintenance, in addition to the installation of equipment on board for reducing emissions to air (VOC facility).

Njord Bravo is scheduled to be completed at the turn of the year 2019/2020.

“After several good deliveries, Aibel has proven that the company has both the expertise and ability to handle this type of complex projects,” said head of project development in Statoil, Torger Rød.

Aibel will start the work immediately, and the storage vessel is expected to arrive at the Haugesund yard early in July 2018. At peak, the project will engage around 600 people.

The Njord field came on stream in 1997, and both the platform and the storage vessel are now being upgraded for additional 20 years of operation.

In 2016, the platform and the storage vessel were towed to shore, to Stord and Haugesund respectively.

“It has been important for us to make good use of the time ashore in Kristiansund, so extensive work has been carried out while the vessel has been at the yard,” Rød said.

The jobs include disassembly and overhaul of equipment, leading to contract awards worth around NOK 80 million ($10.3 million) to suppliers in the Kristiansund region.

In March 2017, Kværner’s yard on Stord was awarded the contract for upgrading the Njord A platform. The work is progressing as planned, currently involving topside modifications and reinforcement of the top section of the hull.

The field is scheduled to start production in the autumn of 2020.