The lifetime of the Oseberg field has doubled thanks to the steady increase in recoverable resources. December marks the 25th anniversary of the Oseberg field centre.

"The Oseberg licence has invested more than NOK 45 billion in the field over the last ten years. Excellent subsea work and use of new technology have contributed to a more than doubling of the recoverable reserves in the main reservoir on Oseberg, from 1.1 to 2.6 billion barrels of oil," says Kjetil Hove, senior vice president for Operations North Sea east.

The original plan was for the field to produce until 2017. New drilling technology and extensive use of gas injection have made it possible to improve both the recovery rate and the expected lifetime of the field.

The development plans for the Oseberg field back in 1983 estimated the reserves at about one billion barrels of oil. Today, the estimated recoverable reserves in the main reservoir have increased to 2.6 billion barrels of oil. The field has already produced 1.7 billion barrels of oil to date.

Tags: Statoil