Statfjord B hook-up starts

By Finn Harald Sandberg, Norwegian Petroleum Museum

Statfjord B was the most complete platform installed at that time on any North Sea field. When it was positioned offshore on 1 August 1981, almost 96 per cent of the construction work was done. The remaining jobs primarily involved commissioning of production equipment and some instrumentation.

Haugesund de Groot Offshore A/S & Co was the main hook-up contractor, responsible for mechanical commissioning and testing of machinery and piping as well as remaining steelwork. It also met requirements for rigging equipment, scaffolding and temporary electrical systems for all sub-contractors on the platform.

The company mobilised its team immediately after Statfjord B arrived on the field, and had about 700 people working on the structure at peak.

An initial period up to 9 August was devoted to ballasting, and the platform was firmly attached to the seabed over the subsequent two months. Tonnes of gravel and concrete grouting were pumped under the storage cells.

Further activity concentrated on the systems required to begin setting conductor pipes and start drilling. Work on the conductors began ahead of schedule in the southern shaft on 26 October.

Before drilling could begin, the main generators supplying the platform with the required power had to be readied. They generated up to 38 000 kilowatts, enough electricity to supply a medium-sized Norwegian town. Start-up was planned for March 1982.

To learn more, see: Commissioning and start-up of Statfjord B