SLB and Equinor have signed a multi-year agreement for advanced reservoir stimulation services on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), including a major upgrade of the MV Island Captain (pictured above) to support development of tight offshore reservoirs.
Under the agreement, the Island Captain will be converted into a fully proppant-capable stimulation vessel with expanded proppant storage, upgraded handling and blending systems, increased pumping capacity and an optimised deck layout for high-intensity offshore stimulation operations. Once upgraded, the vessel will be capable of carrying up to 2 million pounds of proppant.
The companies said the dedicated stimulation capacity is intended to support future development of tight reservoirs across the NCS, where more complex completion technologies are expected to play an increasing role in maximising resource recovery.
"This agreement builds on a longstanding relationship between Equinor and SLB," said Ole Christian Meldahl, managing director for Scandinavia at SLB. "The upgrade of the Island Captain represents an important investment in offshore stimulation capability for the Norwegian Continental Shelf."
SLB said the combination of dedicated offshore capacity and specialised stimulation equipment is expected to help improve execution of high-intensity treatments while supporting future reservoir development programs across the region.