Aker Solutions designs world’s largest spar platform

March 15, 2012 | Contracts, Engineering

Aker_Solutions_Spitsbergen

Norwegian oil services group Aker Solutions has secured a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract from Statoil to design the world’s largest spar platform for the Aasta Hansteen field, off the coast of Norway.

The field is located 300km offshore in the Vøring area of the Norwegian Sea.

The spar is a cylinder shaped floating offshore installation with a total hull length of 193m and a draught of 170m; it will be the world’s first spar platform with condensate storage capacity.

Aker Solutions head of front-end and technology Henning Østvig said it would be the first production platform in the area with steel catenary risers.

“With a water depth of 1,300m, this is probably the only riser technology that can meet the challenges on the Aasta Hansteen field,” he said.

The steel catenary risers are made of self-supporting pipes in a bow shape between the platform and the seabed, which enables them to compensate for the motions on the floating facility.

The FEED study is scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of this year, but the value of the contract has not been disclosed.

Statoil holds a 75% stake in the field with partners ExxonMobil holding a 15% stake and ConocoPhillips holding a 10% stake.