Marulk Gas Field, Norway

The Marulk gas field is located in the Norwegian Sea about 30km south-west of the Norne field. It lies in a water depth of 365m in the Production Licence 122. Marulk is operated by Eni Norge (20%) and controlled by other stake holders Statoil (50%) and Dong E&P Norge (30%).

Marulk is the second major development carried out by Eni in the Norwegian Sea. The field includes Production Licences 122/A/B/C/D. The production start up at Marulk is expected in the second quarter of 2012.

Location

The Marulk field is located in block 6507 in the Halten Nordland area near the Norne field. The field comprises two formations known as Lysing and Lange containing gas and condensate.

Marulk discovery

The Marulk field was discovered by Eni Norge in 1992. It was followed by two subsequent exploration wells and an appraisal well drilled in 2007. The appraisal well confirmed and stretched the resource base in the Lysing and Lange formations.

Reserves

Marulk is primarily a low-CO₂ gas field and consists of condensate as well. Recoverable gas reserves in the field are estimated at 70mmboe.

Drilling

The drilling of exploration well 6507/2-4 was completed in January 2008. The well is located about 21km south-west of the Norne field.

It has confirmed the extension of the gas-and-condensate discovery at Marulk.

Drilled at a depth of 3,600m below the sea surface, the well encountered superior reserves than expected.

Field development

DONG agreed to the Marulk field development plan in July 2010. The plan was approved by the Norwegian authorities in August 2010. Under the plan, Marulk will be developed through the adjacent Norne field, as a tie back to the Norne FPSO. Norne field is currently in production.

As the operator of Marulk, Eni Norge is responsible for the field development related to the subsea facilities and tie-in to the Norne FPSO unit. Major tasks including licence administration, reservoir management, drilling operations and authority co-ordination are also being undertaken by the company.

Marulk infrastructure

The development adapts the same solution used in the gas field Alve which was connected to the Norne FPSO in 2009. Two Marulk production wells will be linked to the FPSO unit stationed at the Norne field through a sea-bed installation. These wells will be controlled from the Norne FPSO vessel.

Norne FPSO commenced operations in 1997 and currently acts as the northern most production facility on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

Neighbouring subsea fields including Urd, Norne K, Alve and Norne M were tied back to Norne prior to Marulk.

The production pipeline of Marulk will have a direct link to Norne FPSO. The control and chemical injection umbilical will have a 13km extension from the Alve template.

A 30km-long production flow line will be routed from the Marulk template to the Norne FPSO.

Norne is located about 200km away from the shore and the onshore base is in Bronnoysund.

Export

The gas produced at Marulk will be transported to the Asgard Transport System (ATS) through a 180km-long 10in diameter Norne Gas Transport System (NGTS). It will be exported to either the European continent or to the UK.

Contracts

In May 2010, Technip was awarded a contract by Statoil for fabrication and installation of a pipe-in-pipe flowline for Marulk field. The pipeline fabrication will be carried out at a spoolbase of Technip located in Orkanger. It will be installed at Marulk by the Apache II vessel in the first half of 2011.

In August 2010, Statoil has signed a contract with Aker Solutions for Marulk tie-in to the floating FPSO of Norne. Following the front end engineering design (FEED) study, a new flowline will be created for the production and test manifold. The contract is valued at approximately NOK120m. The contractual work is currently underway for completion in March 2012.