Statoil Installs World First Subsea Production Facility

The world's first subsea production facility which separates water and sand from oil wells is being installed by Norwegian oil giant Statoil.

Statoil says the Tordis subsea production facility - which works by pumping directly into the bedrock, avoiding the intensive route via a surface platform - will make it possible to recover an extra 35 million barrels of oil.

Tordis has left the Tonsberg yard in eastern Norway where it is due to meet the biggest offshore crane vessel in the world (Saipem 7000) which will install the facility on the seabed in the North Sea's Tordis field.

The production facility is due to come on stream this autumn.

Reported by staff writer