zoomGjøa has been developed using subsea templates tied back to a semi-submersible integrated facility, among which is Wintershall's Vega with three subsea templates.

Norwegian Wintershall has submitted development concept for the Skarfjell field to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy.

Wintershall and its license partners, Capricorn, Bayerngas, Edison and DEA, have selected the development solution for the Skarfjell field, under which the reservoir will be connected to the nearby Gjøa platform via a subsea tie-back.

The license partnership now enters the define phase of the project, refining the technical and economic plan before committing to a final investment decision, the company said.

“Moving into the next phase of the plan is a signal that Wintershall is committed to Norway in the long-term. This is our second operated development project on the Norwegian Continental Shelf after Maria, and we are using our experience and resources to fine-tune the concept for Skarfjell. Wintershall is convinced of having selected the most economically robust solution for the field. We will now work closely with our partners in the coming months to design a plan that will take Skarfjell forward,” said Martin Bachmann, Wintershall’s executive board member for exploration and production in Europe and Middle East.

Skarfjell is situated in the northeastern North Sea approximately 20 kilometers southwest of the Engie-operated Gjøa platform and about 130 kilometers northwest of Bergen. Skarfjell is expected to yield between 60 - 140 million barrels of oil equivalents.

Based on the proposed plan, hydrocarbons from the Skarfjell reservoir will be developed with two subsea templates tied back to the Gjøa platform for processing and export. Gjøa will also provide lift gas to the field and water injection for pressure support.

“Reaching this stage in the development has required a thorough technical and commercial investigation into various development solutions for Skarfjell. By deciding with our license partners to pursue a tie-back to existing infrastructure as our preferred option, we believe we have found the best way of unlocking the maximum value from the field. In this way Skarfjell could provide substantial returns for Wintershall, our partners and the rest of Norwegian society,” said Bernd Schrimpf, Wintershall Norge managing director.

Several studies will now be conducted before the final investment decision and the plan for development and operation (PDO) can be submitted to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, Wintershall added.