Kvaerner ASA

Kvaerner to upgrade the Njord platform - Seite 2

The contract includes a complete upgrade of hull and topside, a project enabling Njord to produce oil and gas in decades to come.

"We are inspired by the fact that Statoil is satisfied with the work we have completed on Njord so far. The contract demonstrates trust in our ability to execute and deliver complex projects predictable, to the agreed quality and schedule", says project director Jarle Henriksrud.

Njord Future, which is the name of the project, is pioneering work in the sense that this is a production platform on the Norwegian Continental Shelf taken ashore for upgrading after being in operation since 1997.

"Although we know the Njord platform well from the time when we constructed it, this is an untypical project, as it is an upgrade job involving removal of old equipment and materials in parallel with fabricating and installing new ones. Kvaerner has extensive experience in executing both new build- and decommissioning projects. This is expertise we expect to utilise to the fullest in this project", says Haugan.

The project will comprise around 3 000 man-years, mainly in Kvaerner and Aker Solutions, being responsible for engineering. The project is an important contributor to further development of important platform competence, not least for Kvaerner's specialised yard at Stord and at Aker Solutions' office in Bergen.

"Kvaerner's skills for executing challenging platform projects are quite unique internationally. With Njord, we have the opportunity to further develop this expertise. It contributes to continuity and gives us the opportunity to maintain expertise that is of great importance to the Norwegian oil- and gas industry. Among other factors, this project and the work we are executing for Johan Sverdrup, enables us to offer apprenticeships", says Haugan.

The main project activities will take place at Kvaerner at Stord and Aker Solutions in Bergen.

"We expect a very high percentage of Norwegian value creation in the project, probably more than 95 percent. With exception of some procurement, this is likely to be a complete Norwegian project, with high activity in Hordaland and other parts of Western Norway which have been hit by the downturn in the oil industry over the last years", says Haugan.

The Njord platform is scheduled to be delivered in the spring of 2020. Kvaerner also has an option for the offshore hook-up when Njord A is back on the field.

Njord A was originally delivered in September 1997. The topside was fabricated at what today is Kvaerner at Stord, while the hull was fabricated at today's Kvaerner in Verdal.