The field has been developed with a production facility resting on the seabed and an oil storage ship, in water depths of 110-120 metres. The oil will be exported via buoy loaders, and the rich gas will be sent to the Sleipner A platform for final processing.

Gas for gas injection will be imported from Zeepipe 2A (Gassled). The field will be tied in to a joint solution with power supply from shore for the Utsira High.

(Credit: Statoil)

The recoverable reserves for Gina Krog include 11.8bn m³ gas and 3.2mn metric tons of liquids. Investment costs are expected to reach Nkr30.9bn ($3.7bn), which the NPD said was within the range of uncertainty listed in the plan for development and operation. Statoil is the operator in production licences 029 B, 029 C, 048 and 303. Fellow licensees in these four include Aker BP, Total, PGNiG and Kuwait's Kupfec, according to the NPD website.

Total did not comment on its shareholding but there have been reports that Okea is to buy all its shares in Gina Krog for Nkr 3bn ($360mn), Total's earlier plan to sell a smaller stake to Tellus subsidiary Sequa in 2015 fell through last year.

Gas was proven in the Gina Krog (previously known as Dagny) in the central part of the North Sea back in the 1970s. In 2007, gas, condensate and oil were discovered in the Ermintrude prospect. Appraisal wells drilled on Gina Krog from 2008 to 2011 proved an oil column under the gas. Partners submitted a plan for its development and operation in December 2012. 

William Powell