Type:
Oil
Facility:
Production
Water Depth:
27
Installed:
1982
meters
Block:
Q-Block
Design:
Fixed steel
Sub Structure:
2015
Topsides Wgt:
3527
tonnes
tonnes
Intro
Helder (Q01-Helder-AP) is a fixed oil production/processing platform installed in 1982 in Block Q of the Dutch North Sea. It served as the primary processing hub for the Helder field, linking multiple wellheads and exporting crude and associated gas ashore. Production has ceased and the platform is undergoing decommissioning activities.
Field
The Helder field is part of the Helder/Helm/Hoorn oil complex in Block Q, with Lower Cretaceous sandstone reservoirs discovered around 1979 and producing oil with associated gas. The block’s development involved multiple platforms to access the stacked reservoirs across the three fields.
Facilities
Helder’s facilities included production wells tied into manifolds and a processing module for crude oil and associated gas. Gas–liquid separation, crude stabilization, and metering were performed onboard before export via subsea pipelines to shore. The platform also supported accommodation, power generation, utilities (firewater, water handling), and control systems for integrated operations across the field. As a central hub, it received flows from nearby wells and smaller installations. With the end of production, the installation is being decommissioned: wells are plugged, topsides removed, and infrastructure dismantled in line with Dutch offshore regulations.
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