Sleipnir breaks records on the Johan Sverdrup Phase 2 development project

23 June 2021, Leiden, the Netherlands

On June 18, Sleipnir successfully installed the 12,050 metric ton Johan Sverdrup processing platform (P2) jacket, setting a new record for the heaviest lift jacket installation. This lift comes after the inshore integration of the three P2 topside modules on behalf of client Aibel at the GMC yard in Gismarvik in May. This mating process included the heaviest crane lift in Norwegian waters, with the MSF module weighing a massive 13,600 metric tons.

Johan Sverdrup is the biggest field development on the Norwegian continental shelf since the 1980s. The Johan Sverdrup Phase 2 development will capture the full potential of the huge Johan Sverdrup oil field on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The new processing platform, which will be the second of its kind at the field center, will make for a total of five platforms when the development is completed.

The inshore mating of the P2 topside included integrating three modules weighing 13,500 metric tons, 5,400 metric tons, and 4,300 metric tons. This successful operation was the result of close cooperation between Heerema, client Aibel, and operator Equinor. The modules were built in Thailand, Spain, and Norway and are Aibel's largest project ever. Now that the lifting operations are complete, the topside has been towed by Heerema's Kolga to Aibel's yard in Haugesund.

Thereafter, on behalf of client Equinor, Sleipnir lifted the 12,050 metric ton P2 jacket, which is the heaviest jacket in the world so far to be lifted directly from the transportation barge. This installation method made it possible to reduce the jacket weight considerably, compared to a more traditional launch jacket, resulting in significant fabrication cost savings.

'We are proud to play a part in Equinor's Johan Sverdrup P2 development, and to achieve two new lifting records in the process is always special. Both projects were successful due to the close cooperation with our clients, and we look forward to returning to the Johan Sverdrup field later this year’ says Michel Hendriks, Heerema's Transport and Installation Director.