Statfjord A OLS
Statfjord A-OLS refers to the offshore loading system associated with the Statfjord A platform in the Statfjord oil field. The system uses a submerged mooring and hose arrangement to transfer stabilized crude oil from storage cells to shuttle tankers offshore. It was installed to replace traditional surface buoys for safe oil export in deep North Sea waters.
Operator: Equinor Energy AS
Status: Operational
Image Source: Equinor Energy AS. (All rights belong to the original owner.)
Production: Oil
Operations start: 1986
Water depth: 145 m
Country: Norway
Block: 33/9
Type: Floating (SPM)
Field
The Statfjord field is one of the largest North Sea oil and gas provinces, located on the UK-Norwegian boundary in ~145-m water depth. Discovered in 1974 and producing since 1979, the field has been developed with three concrete gravity platforms (A, B, C) with integrated storage cells and multiple subsea templates for production and injection.
Facilities
Statfjord A-OLS comprises subsea structural foundations, flexible hoses with swivel connections, and mooring systems enabling shuttle tankers to weathervane while loading oil. It interfaces with Statfjord A's storage cells within its concrete gravity base structure, transferring crude via subsea piping, risers and export hoses to the tanker. The system includes emergency shutdowns, metering, remote control via the platform's process control network, and subsea valves for flow assurance. Being submerged minimizes surface collision risk and provides robust, weather-independent export operations. OLS systems on Statfjord are designated OLS-A and OLS-B, enhancing export reliability historically compared to floating buoys.
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