A magazine from Total E&P Norge AS
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FAST FORWARD Sometimes you just have to push the >> button EYE IN THE SKY A whole new perspective on oil spills
THE CHANGE-MAKING PUZZLE The story of the Martin Linge field is one of the longest and most exciting in the North Sea. And the one that changed the future vision for one of the most experienced oil companies in Norway.
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8 4 FAST FORWARD An oilfield came on stream less than two years after discovery. Read the story about a record!
8 THE WELL THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING Read the exciting story about how Total managed to solve one of the big wonders of the North Sea.
14 EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT MARTIN LINGE (BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK) 16 TRAINEE LIFE Meet Maria Eide from Total. 18 KITING AT SELE BEACH A picture says more than thousand words. Sometimes more.
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IN THE MAGAZINE
IN THE
MAKING A magazine from Total E&P Norge AS
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FasT Forward Sometimes you just have to push the >> button eye in The sky A whole new perspective on oil spills
The change-making puzzle The story of the Martin Linge field is one of the longest and most exciting in the North Sea. And the one that changed the future vision for one of the most experienced oil companies in Norway.
FRONT PAGE ILLUSTRATION:
20 CLUBBING Meet some of the most active
The reservoirs of the Martin Linge field seen from above.
leisure time activity consumers of Total.
21 EAT TO LIVE vs LIVE TO EAT Please have a seat and stay for lunch! IN THE MAKING Published by Total E&P Norge AS Photography 04–06 Kimm Saatvedt, 07 Total, 08–11 Kimm Saatvedt, 16–17 Anne Lise Norheim, 18–20 Marie von Krogh, 21 Anne Lise Norheim, 22 GettyImages, 23 Laurent Pascal, 25 Top left, top right, bottom right: Total, bottom left: Philippe Boulze Digital illustrations 10 VisCo, 14–15 Headspin, 26–27 VisCo Concept, design, content and production
Printing HBO Paper Arctic Volume Ivory The articles and images published in the magazine are protected by copyright. Reproduction of articles or images is prohibited without the expressed permission of the publisher.
22 EYE IN THE SKY A whole new perspective on oil spills
26 WHAT’S ON A closer look at our schedule for the next exciting years.
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IN THE MAKING
OPERATOR AGAIN – SO WHAT?
Total E&P Norge is stepping up as an operator again, after a lengthy break. What does it really mean to be an operator? And what does an oil and gas company do when it’s not an operator? Total E&P Norge was the operator of Frigg, once the world’s largest offshore gas field. Frigg was shut down after 27 years of safe and profitable production. When a company is the operator, it is responsible for the development and operation of a field. The operator is in the driver’s seat, and makes proposals to the other companies that are partners in the licence on how the field should be developed. When production starts, the operator is responsible for operations.
SIGNIFICANT LICENCE PARTNER INFLUENCE In the years since the Frigg field was shut down, Total has not operated major fields, just smaller ones. Nevertheless, the company’s presence on the Norwegian Continental Shelf has been strong – as a licence partner. A licence partner’s job is to
provide expertise and input which contribute to good licence management and, in turn, good value creation and resource utilisation. Important decisions must be approved by the licence partners before the operator can proceed.
THIRST FOR OPERATORSHIP Total has ownership interests in more than 100 licences, from Ekofisk in the south to Snøhvit in the north. The result is a strong position on the Norwegian Shelf, where the company has been active for nearly 50 years. In the time that has passed since the Frigg era, the company has worked diligently to make new discoveries and plan for future production. The role of operator for exploration, development and production provides many interesting challenges for an oil and gas company. That is why the company has longed for an opportunity to return as an operator. The people in Total E&P Norge have been there before, and there is no doubt that they prefer to call the shots themselves. This creates an extra sense of drive among the employees, and makes the job both more demanding and more satisfying. Total is the operator in 27 of its licences. The exploration activity has resulted in five consecutive discoveries, a fast-track development of Atla and the development of a completely new field; Martin Linge. There is a new atmosphere in the company’s Stavanger offices. You can tell that the organisation has great things in the making.
SIMPLY PUT The Norwegian continental shelf is the subsea extension of Norway’s land area, out to the outer edge of the continental margin. While areas beyond the continental margin are part of the international seabed area, the individual countries have proprietary rights to their respective continental shelves. The national authorities grant consent for exploration and production of oil and gas on the Norwegian shelf by awarding so-called licences. Oil companies must apply for the licences they are interested in. The ownership percentage they are awarded determines how both petroleum expenses and revenues are divided among the partners. The operator is responsible for exploring, operating and organising the activities on behalf of the licence. The role of operator is usually assigned to the company awarded the largest ownership interest in the licence. The other licence partners contribute both financial support and technical expertise. They take part in decision-making and receive their share of the revenues. They also function as an internal control system, monitoring the operator’s work.
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IN THE MAKING THE ATLA FIELD
FAST FORWARD
Fast-track projects mean a tight schedule and significant expectations for getting things right the first time. Nevertheless, Total E&P Norge decided to place two relatively green employees in key roles when the company started up its very first fast track project. For the two newcomers, that meant fast forward integration into the company.
IN THE MAKING THE ATLA FIELD
Vea and Myklebust in front of the plough Subsea 7 used to plough tracks in the seabed for the Atla pipelines.
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IN THE MAKING THE ATLA FIELD
DRUM ROLL The umbilical makes a big impression on the Dusavik quay before being shipped to the field.
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UMBILICAL The complex umbilical contains all control cables and injection lines. Here from the fabrication process.
GREAT THINGS IN THE MAKING The protective structure is lifted on board Skandi Acergy for transport to and installation on the Atla field. The structure is an important part of the safety measures in the event of trawling in the area.
ATLA PROJECT Where: North Sea, 24 km east of the Heimdal field Discovered: October 2010 Production start: 7 October 2012 Development concept: • Simple subsea development • Total E&P Norge’s first fast-track project • The fastest developed field (from discovery to production) on the Norwegian shelf
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TORE BĂ˜, head of operations and projects in Total.
IN THE MAKING MARTIN LINGE
THE WELL THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING An oil reservoir discovered in 1975. A gas reservoir discovered in 1978. Resources that were left untouched for more than 30 years because they were difficult to map accurately, thus complicating any further development planning. That is, until Total spudded a well in September 2009. The rest, as they say, is history. And a very exciting tale it is.
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EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT MARTIN LINGE (BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK)
16 IN THE MAKING TRAINEE LIFE
You really have to cram verb conjugation if you want to learn French.
It says ‘Performance engineer’ on my business card. Once someone asked me if I got the title because of how well I was doing! Now I just say that I’m an engineer in an oil company when I meet new people.
I’m currently working on the Martin Linge field. I've done a lot of calculations on this formation!
Show me your refrigerator and I’ll tell you where you’ve been.
I take a lot of pictures, but I use my iPhone more and more. Unfortunately…
Never a day goes by without an Americano in my cup.
SELE BEACH 1 MAR 13/13.45 Talk about being in the right place at the right time! One of Northern Europe’s best kiting and surfing beaches is located just 20 minutes from Total. Cato Larsen, Economist in Total, is joined by more than 40 colleagues in the company’s Water Sport Club – and you’ll be sure to find some of them wherever the waves are high and the wind is sweet!
20 IN THE MAKING WELFARE
CLUBBING Kiting has been Cato Larsen’s passion for nine years, and it was Cato who started the Water Sport Club in Total. The club offers courses and lends out equipment to employees who want to master the combination of water, waves and wind.
There are also plenty of options for those who prefer somewhat calmer activities. With a total of 16 different clubs, Total offers a gateway to new experiences and social gatherings, whether you are interested in golf, wine, hunting and fishing,
diving – or tinkering with car engines. Most of Total’s employees actually participate in multiple clubs. This should work in favour of Cato Larsen and the others in the Water Sport Club, who are planning an activity day to lure even more colleagues out into the waves.
IN THE MAKING LUNCH 21
THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR ONE MORE. Just twist the trays 90 degrees.
LIVE TO EAT VS. EAT TO LIVE YOU DON’T HAVE TO TALK TO MANY people in Total before you understand that the canteen is quite the focal point for just about everyone in the company. In fact, you don’t even have to meet anyone from Total – haven’t we all heard the rumours about Total’s fabulous canteen at some point? “Yeah, the tables are set with white linen napkins,” was one account. “Don’t they have nouvelle cuisine and wine pairings starting on Wednesdays and for the rest of the week?” asked another. “I’m fairly certain that they’ve had a star in the Michelin guide, until fairly recently,” says a third, with some certainty.
NOW LISTEN UP YOU THREE – and the rest of you also: an ordinary week at Total starts, for example, with lasagne on Monday, and cod on Tuesday. On Wednesday we serve bangers and mash, beef a la Lindstrom on Thursday – and on Friday, well, then we have eggs, bacon and chips (a time-
honoured tradition from the mid-1970s). The only stars you’ll find in the canteen are the ones in the eyes of the lucky employees who get to eat lunch there. And there are quite a lot of them.
THE ROOM ITSELF IS LARGE, airy and light – a hub around which people gather, centrally located in the Total building. Even in its architecture, Total hints that the meal is more important than in many other companies. When the clock approaches eleven, the cheerful buzz of voices starts to congregate in the direction of this culinary oasis. Some roll up their sleeves, others grab their ID cards, but all have a smile on their face. And their eyes fixed on the prize, which includes: four different kinds of salmon, two soup choices, all kinds of sliced meats, and a gorgeous salad bar catering to the most discerning salad palates. Not to mention the cheeses – and the dessert cart, bursting with fresh fruit and sweet and healthy temptations. Did we mention the bread? Everything from whole grain peasant loaves to baguettes and croissants fresh from the oven. Nothing here says time for sustenance. It’s time for a good meal – and the day’s most important informal meeting with colleagues.
YOU CAN ALMOST SEE IT in the moment each person sits down to eat. Their shoulders relax. Their backs straighten. Knife and fork in hand.
It’s not OK to sit alone – unless you insist. And no one does – quite the contrary. One by one, the tables fill up quickly, with carefully arranged white trays: today we will talk together, and we will eat together. And, if one more person comes along, don’t even consider sitting alone. “Sit here with us!” And eight pairs of hands twist eight trays 90 degrees, and voila, there’s room for one more. It’s all automatic. And natural.
LAUGHTER SPILLS OUT between mouthfuls, bouncing from table to table. It appears to be an unwritten law – the meal is a protected zone. Here there is no room for serious discussions or confrontations – there is a sense of peace and calm around the food that is indisputable proof that the canteen is important for Total and everyone who works there. No one eats too quickly, but all eat with a purpose.
AND THEN THE TABLES EMPTY – almost as quickly. But the buzz of conversation doesn’t disappear, it just moves. To Chez Total. The coffee bar with its own barista who prepares quick espressos, delicious lattes or whatever it takes to keep the relaxed culinary mood going for as long as possible into the afternoon. To be imbibed standing or seated, engaged and alive – this is the very heart. This is where Total’s heart beats. Here you live to eat.
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EYE IN THE SKY ON OIL SPILLS
IN THE MAKING RESEARCH 23
Can satellite images be used to differentiate between harmful oil spills and harmless sheets of algae on the sea surface? That is what researcher Stine Skrunes is trying to find out. And Total’s experts in Pau in Southern France are impressed.
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UNIQUE DATA Every year, NOFO’s drills focus on oil on water. In 2011 and 2012, because of Stine Skrunes’ study, radar images were taken of the spills, giving her an opportunity to compare the different slicks. Radarsat-2 data ©KSAT/NSC/MDA
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tine Skrunes is right at home, even though she is all of 3133 kilometres from Tromsø, where she normally lives. The little town of Pau in southern France is situated on a hill and is famous for its spectacular view of the Pyrenees. This is one of the mostvisited towns in the Tour de France cycling race, because of its proximity to the renowned climbing stages up to Col du Tourmalet. King Henry IV was born in the town castle, which subsequently became a holiday venue for both Marie Antoinette and Napoleon. But it’s not the mountains, the cycling or the holiday-friendly climate that make Skrunes feel right at home. It’s the expertise at Total’s research centre in Pau. She is 27, from Sauda and a doctoral research fellow at the University of Tromsø. She is one of seven research fellows receiving support from Total E&P Norge. Her interest in satelite monitoring of oil spills has developed over the course of her studies in energy and environment. “What’s nice about being here is that people are interested in my work. The environment is also a little different than at the university. People know different things, and their focus is decidedly operational.
ALREADY USEFUL Researchers always run the risk of their work being unusable for any practical application after their thesis has been written and defended. But that is not the case for Skrunes. The experts at the research centre are already talking about implementing her findings in the way the Total Group looks at satellite images – a full year before her study is complete. “Yes, this is definitely very motivating. And it’s easy for me to forget when I am at the university, working with a very theoretical focus, that this is useful in the larger context. It’s been quite nice to experience the very operational view Total takes of this,” Skrunes says. The research headquarters was originally located in Pau due to its proximity to the Lacq natural gas field – which is the origin of Total’s activities in France. This is where the company’s
subsidiaries around the world look for technical support, and this is where they send their employees to get the necessary training for various assignments. “Oil spills are very interesting to work with, because preventing them is so important.” With your interest in the environment, was it problematic to receive support for your study from an oil company? “I did think about it some in the beginning, and I’ve been asked this several times. But I feel that it is very positive that Total supports research in general, and especially that they support this particular type of research. This is important as activity increases in northern areas.
TOTAL SUPPORTS DOCTORATES For many years, Total E&P Norge has actively supported research on topics of importance for the company. “We want to contribute to training new researchers, which is why we have collaborated with a number of educational institutions in Norway for nearly 15 years,” says External affairs advisor Ottar Minsaas. “We are very conscious of selecting doctorate programmes on topics that are important for the company, but also for the entire industry.”
RESEARCH TO MITIGATE DISASTERS As we know, oil spills at sea can have dramatic consequences for birds, animals and the natural environment. The faster spills are discovered, the more we can do to limit the damage. Satellite pictures can make it easier to monitor vast sea areas. “I work on what we call synthetic aperture radar (SAR). In simple terms, these are sensors that transmit microwaves and receive the reflected signal. They can be used regardless of light, and in almost any weather conditions, which makes the technique very useful in the north where we have long periods of darkness
and a lot of bad weather. Optical satellite images can’t be used in overcast weather, for example,” Skrunes explains. The problem, however, is that there are many other phenomena that can look like an oil spill, and result in a false alarm. For example, a film of algae on the surface, or very thin ice. “So part of the assignment is to find methods that allow us to differentiate between actual oil spills, and natural phenomena,” she says.
DELIBERATELY RELEASED OIL One of the challenges associated with satellite monitoring is that nobody knows where a spill will occur. Also, all of the world’s oceans are not monitored continuously. Therefore, Skrunes received good assistance through Total’s cooperation with NOFO (Norwegian Clean Seas Association for Operating Companies) to collect data during their annual exercises in the North Sea. In these exercises, oil is released on the sea surface to allow testing of equipment and methods. “This was extremely important for my work, as we knew where the spills would occur, and what would be released. This allowed us to collect different types of data than we have seen previously. Three slicks; one of crude oil, one of vegetable oil, and one an oil-water emulsion, were all captured in the same radar image, giving Skrunes a rare opportunity for comparison.
JUST THE BEGINNING Her time in Pau is drawing to an end, but Stine Skrunes has obviously left a lasting mark. A mark which will lead to changes in one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies. “My study is just a study. It’s important that Total will implement the findings in their programme, so that the methods are tested in practice. New satellites and new technology are continuously arriving on the scene, which in time will make it easier to get hold of the type of data I am working with now. Therefore, it’s important to know how we can use it.”
IN THE MAKING RESEARCH 25
SECRETS IN STONE —> In Pau, core samples from the subsurface are analysed to reveal whether they contain water, gas or oil; as well as whether they are porous enough for precious hydrocarbons to flow through them.
<— SUPERCOMPUTER It is all of 70 square metres in size, the most important computer at CSTJF in Pau. It assists geologists in analysing advanced seismic data, and is capable of making 150,000 computations in a single second. Better reservoir understanding decreases risk and makes it easier to hit the mark when drilling.
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<— YOU’LL NEED A MAP —>
The research centre covers an area of 27 hectares, making Total the world leader within E&P research and technology development. “I don’t remember how long it took for me to learn my way to the cafeteria, but it certainly wasn’t the first week,” says Stine Skrunes.
26 FIELD DEVELOPMENT IN THE MAKING
WHAT’S ON? It’s a big deal for the Total organisation to be back as the operator of a large scale field development. You can feel the enthusiasm in the corridors. On these final pages we’ll give you a brief summary of what Total has in store in the future.
AFTER THE LAST employees left the Frigg field on 21 July 2006, the Total organization gradually faded out of the center of attention. In retrospect you could say that Total almost became the secret giant of the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Though still active as a partner in a string of licenses, there was clearly something missing. With the Martin Linge project and others to come, Total is once again taking a stand as operator. After all, birds were meant to fly.
You want to tell the whole story when you have great things in the making
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