740 tonne Nova module installed on the Gjøa platform

The world’s largest crane vessel, “Sleipnir”, safely installed the 740 tonne Nova topside module on the host platform Gjøa in the North Sea. The installation showcases how the Nova project is progressing towards production start.

Over the course of three hours, the Nova module was safely lifted on board of the Gjøa platform in the North Sea. The installation was carried out by Heerema Marine Contractors' Sleipnir, the world's largest crane vessel.

“This is an important landmark for Wintershall Dea and a major milestone in the Nova field development. Despite the challenging situation we are in, we managed to install the module on time, and above all safely,” said Hugo Dijkgraaf, Wintershall Dea Chief Technology Officer and member of the Executive Board.

Lying in an important, asset-rich area for Wintershall Dea, the Nova field is being developed as a subsea tie-back connecting two templates to the Neptune Energy-operated Gjøa platform, in which Wintershall Dea holds a 28% share. When Nova comes on stream, the topside module will receive the hydrocarbons from the field and provide water injection for pressure support and gas lift.

Neptune Energy managed the construction and installation of the topside module on behalf of Wintershall Dea, including contracting the giant Sleipnir vessel from Heerema. Running on LNG with an estimated CO2 reduction of around 20%, Sleipnir is the world's most sustainable heavy lift vessel.

“The close collaboration with Neptune Energy, our partners and suppliers has been a highlight of the Nova project to date. Construction and installation of the topside module is a critical component of the Nova project, which has been handled on time, with total professionalism and a high regard for safety. Sleipnir's safe lift of the module onto the Gjøa platform brings us another important step closer to production start on the Nova field,” said André Hesse, Wintershall Dea Nova Project Director.

The Nova module was built at the Rosenberg Worley yard in Stavanger on behalf of Neptune Energy. A workforce of more than 200 people spent around 420,000 working hours on the module before it was ready to be picked up by Sleipnir in Åmøyfjorden outside Stavanger and then transported to the field for installation.

"Heading from near our office in Stavanger to the Nova field in the North Sea, the topside module charted a course, tracking some of the most important areas for Wintershall Dea in Norway," said Alv Solheim, Wintershall Dea Norge Managing Director. "We are a major shareholder in Gjøa which is already host for our operated Vega field. With the installation of the Nova topside, we are underpinning our position in this area of the North Sea and putting down a marker for our continued future as a key operator".

About Nova

Nova is located about 120 kilometers northwest of Bergen and approximately 17 kilometers southwest of the Gjøa platform in the Norwegian North Sea.

Partnership: Wintershall Dea (operator 45%), Capricorn Norge AS (a fully owned subsidiary of Sval Energi AS) (10%), ONE-Dyas Norge AS (10%), Spirit Energy Norge AS (20%) and Edison Norge AS (15%).

Water depth: 370 meters

Development solution: Nova is being developed as a subsea tieback connecting two templates to the existing Gjøa platform which is operated by Neptune Energy. Gjøa will receive the production fluids and provide water injection and gas lift to the Nova field. Oil from Nova will be transported from Gjøa through the Troll Oil Pipeline II to Mongstad, associated gas will be exported via the Far North Liquids and Associated Gas System (FLAGS) pipeline to St Fergus in the UK, supplying the European energy market.

The use of existing infrastructure enables a cost-efficient extraction of the resources in the reservoir at 2,570 meters below sea level and extends the economic lifetime of the existing infrastructure.

Nova will be Wintershall Dea’s fourth operated subsea field in production in Norway.