Type:
Oil
Facility:
Production
Water Depth:
79
Installed:
2012
meters
Block:
46114
Design:
Fixed steel
Sub Structure:
7300
Topsides Wgt:
8000
tonnes
tonnes
Intro
Ekofisk Z (often referenced as Ekofisk 2/4-Z) is a fixed wellhead and minimal processing platform installed in the southern Ekofisk area in 2013 as part of the Ekofisk South project. It produces hydrocarbons from subsea wells and routes fluids to central Ekofisk processing facilities.
Field
Part of the Ekofisk field (PL 018), Ekofisk Z targets oil from the same chalk reservoirs in the Tor and Ekofisk Formations. Installed to expand recovery and drilling capacity in the field’s southern reaches, it ties into the Ekofisk area infrastructure, contributing incremental production.
Facilities
Ekofisk Z is a steel-jacket fixed platform with several well slots drilled as part of the Ekofisk South development. The platform’s primary function is wellhead support and initial separation; it does not host full multi-stage hydrocarbon processing. Fluids from wells on Ekofisk Z are routed via subsea flowlines and bridges to larger processing centres (e.g., Ekofisk J) for separation and export. Utility systems include power distribution via bridge or subsea cables, basic chemical injection for flow assurance, and safety/shutdown systems to protect against overpressure and hydrocarbon release. Control is typically remote or via local equipment rooms with limited permanent manning. Export routes leverage the broader Ekofisk pipeline network, with oil sent via Norpipe to Teesside and gas via Gassled to Germany.
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