Statfjord – a giant turns 30! 

On 24 November 2009 it is exactly 30 years since oil production started on the Statfjord field.

Statfjord turns 30!

Statfjord, one of the North Sea’s oldest and largest oil fields, has during these years produced oil and gas worth a total of NOK 1,200 billion. That is equivalent to half the value of the Norwegian Government Pension Fund.

Bilde

The platform deck for Statfjord B under construction at the Rosenberg yard, outside Stavanger. Two giants meet when the Queen Elizabeth II sails into the fjord on 10 July 1980. (Photo: Leif Berge, Statoil)

Statfjord has had great significance for the development of Statoil. The discovery of the Statfjord field was announced by the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate on 26 February 1974 and Mobil Exploration Norway was appointed as operator. Many years later, on 1 January 1987, the operatorship was transferred from Mobil to Den norske stats oljeselskap (Statoil).

The field has been developed with the Statfjord A, B and C production platforms, which all have concrete gravity base structures incorporating storage cells.
Statfjord A began production on 24 November 1979.
Statfjord B followed on 5 November 1982, and Statfjord C came on stream on 26 June 1985.

We brought this big North Sea oil field on stream on 24 November 1979. Today we are operating a field where 65% of the total output is gas. A whole new era in Statfjord’s history has begun.

Statfjord-C from construction to production
Bygging
FACTS

Statfjord

  • Statfjord was discovered by Mobil in 1974 and production started on 24 November 1979.
  • Statoil took over as operator on 1 January 1987. 
  • The field lies on the boundary between the Norwegian (about 85%) and British sectors of the continental shelf.
  • The field was developed at water depths of roughly 145 metres with three fully integrated Condeep platforms: Statfjord A, B and C. 
  • The production record for a single day on Statfjord was set on 16 January 1987, when 850,204 barrels were produced. 
  • The Norwegian share of gas from the field is piped to the Kårstø processing complex north of Stavanger, and on to continental Europe. 
  • The field is likely to remain in production until 2020.
A big moment for EJ Medley, head of Mobil Exploration Norway. He inaugurated Statfjord A production on 24 November 1979.