VESSEL REVIEW | Johan Castberg – Harsh environment-capable FPSO to be deployed in Barents Sea off Norway

Norwegian state-owned energy company Equinor will soon place a new floating production storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) into service in the Barents Sea.

Completed by Norwegian shipbuilder Aker Solutions, Johan Castberg measures 313 metres (1,030 feet) long by 55 metres (180 feet) wide and displaces approximately 88,000 tonnes, making it one of the largest vessels of its kind to be acquired by Equinor.

The FPSO will be connected to 30 subsea wells distributed across 10 subsea templates and two satellite structures. Thirteen of the wells have already been drilled, and drilling operations are scheduled for completion by 2026.

The vessel’s production capacity is rated at 220,000 barrels of oil per day while up to 1.1 million barrels can be stored on board. The processed oil is then transported to an onshore storage facility via a pipeline measuring 280 kilometres (170 miles) long.

The FPSO was designed to be capable of operating for up to 30 years even under the harsh winter conditions of the Barents Sea. The array of equipment includes injection modules and a flare system. Accommodation will be available for 140 personnel.

Caterpillar supplied the FPSO with two generators that produce a combined rated output of 3,000 kW. The power generation package installed the vessel was selected based on factors such as limited onboard space and high power requirements.

The FPSO is slated for operation on the Johan Castberg oil field in the Barents Sea some 240 kilometres (150 miles) northwest of the town of Hammerfest. Production at the field, which lies at a depth of 370 metres (1,200 feet), is scheduled to start in the fourth quarter of 2024. Equinor’s partners at the Johan Castberg field include Vår Energi and Petoro.

Compliant with Norway's highest oil industry standards

The FPSO was developed in collaboration with SBM Offshore (provider of the turret mooring system), Norway's IKM Ocean Design (responsible for the pre-front-end engineering design), and Singapore’s Seatrium (formerly Sembcorp Marine; builder of the hull and the living quarters).

Design work on Johan Castberg was completed in compliance with both DNV class rules and NORSOK standards, which were developed by the Norwegian petroleum industry to ensure adequate safety, value adding, and cost effectiveness for petroleum industry developments and operations.