Gullfaks oil field


Gullfaks is an oil and gas field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea operated by Equinor. It was discovered in 1978, in block 34/10, at a water depth of 130-230 meters. The initial recoverable reserve is, and the remaining recoverable reserve in 2004 is. This oil field reached peak production in 2001 at. It has satellite fields Gullfaks South, Rimfaks, Skinfaks and Gullveig.

Platforms

The project consists of three production platforms Gullfaks A, Gullfaks B, and Gullfaks C. Gullfaks C sits below the waterline. The height of the total structure measured from the sea floor is, making it taller than the Eiffel Tower. Gullfaks C produces of oil. The Tordis field, which is located south east of Gullfaks C, has a subsea separation manifold installed in 2007 which is tied-back to the existing Gullfaks infrastructure.

Incidents

Between November 2009 and May 2010 a well being drilled from Gullfaks C experienced multiple well control incidents which were investigated by Petroleum Safety Authority Norway and summarized in a report released on 19 November 2010. The report stated that only chance prevented the final and most serious incident on 19 May 2010 from becoming a full-scale disaster.

Geology

The reservoir consists of delta sandstones from the Middle Jurassic Brent Group, shallow-marine Lower Jurassic Cook Formation sandstones, and the fluvial-channel and delta-plain Lower Jurassic Statfjord Formation.