Modifications on Gullfaks A
In 1998, Gullfaks A’s oil production had dropped to 138,000 barrels of oil per day, compared with 209,000 barrels per day at its peak.[REMOVE]Fotnote: Åsland, Ragnar. “Pace picks up on Gullfaks A” in Status (Statoil : engelsk) : house journal for the Statoil Group. 1998 Nr. October, p. 6. A production decline over time is natural. The fact that the Gullfaks platforms would eventually be able to receive oil and gas from surrounding fields was something that had been considered during the construction of the platforms.
For this reason, the concrete platforms were initially built with high processing capacity and ample deck space, specifically with future expansions in mind, such as Gullfaks Sør. Just over ten years after Gullfaks A was completed, some of the deck space was reduced.[REMOVE]Fotnote: Bryne, Berit. «Møter framtiden under vann» i Statoil magasin (trykt utg.). 1999 Vol. 21 Nr. 2, s. 19.
In the summer of 1997, two new modules were lifted into place on Gullfaks A. Modules M18 and M35 were intended to enable the platform to receive well streams from 24 subsea wells from the satellites Gullveig, Rimfaks, and Gullfaks Sør.[REMOVE]Fotnote: Bryne, Berit. «Møter framtiden under vann» i Statoil magasin (trykt utg.). 1999 Vol. 21 Nr. 2, s. 23.
The modules were built by Kværner Oil & Gas AS and were far from the largest the company had delivered. Nevertheless, their size posed a challenge: a lot of equipment had to be installed in a relatively small area.[REMOVE]Fotnote: O&G intern: bedriftsavis for Kværner Oil & Gas a.s. 1997 Nr. 1.
Gullveig started production in 1998, while Rimfaks and Gullfaks Sør started up in 1999.
Gullfaks Sør
Gullveig, Rimfaks, and Gullfaks Sør, as shown on the map above, along with Skinfaks and Gulltopp (developed later), are all part of Gullfaks Sør and are considered discoveries under this field.[REMOVE]Fotnote: «Gullfaks Sør» on Norwegian Petroleum. https://www.norskpetroleum.no/en/facts/field/gullfaks-sor/ Downloaded 8 January 2026.
Gullfaks Sør has been developed in several stages through different development and operation plans.
The term Gullfaks Sør is commonly used to describe the entire area, while the specific names are used when more precision is needed.
Satellite Fields
The entire Gullfaks Sør (see fact box above) is an example of an area often referred to by different names, such as a field or a satellite to Gullfaks. This can be somewhat confusing, but according to the dictionary, one definition of “satellite” is a unit or geographic area that is controlled by another.[REMOVE]Fotnote: «Satellitt» på ordbøkene.no https://ordbokene.no/nno/bm,nn/satellitt Lasta ned 7. januar 2026.
This fits well for fields producing via seabed installations, since such production cannot occur without another installation to receive the well stream, process it, and transport it.
In other words, Gullfaks Sør can be described as both satellites and a field, or as a satellite field.
New Well Stream
The new well stream from the satellites, as well as from Snorre, Tordis, Vigdis, and Visund, also introduced different types of oil than those produced by the Gullfaks field itself. Multiple oil types, along with increased gas, made process operations more demanding.
In the control room, for example, they noticed that satellite oil was thicker and contained more wax. In some cases, the oil also had to travel several kilometers before reaching the platform. For the most part, however, it was manageable to monitor pressure and temperature from the new wells using two new screens.
The prediction in 1999 was that without a new well stream – of oil and gas – the Gullfaks employees would have had to plan for shutdown as early as 2003. Instead, the workplace was given new life.
Although this contributed to the perception that the modifications were largely positive, the additional work did not lead to more employees.[REMOVE]Fotnote: Bryne, Berit. «Møter framtiden under vann» i Statoil magasin (trykt utg.). 1999 Vol. 21 Nr. 2, s. 20. The platform manager on Gullfaks A in 1998, Annas Bollmann, noted that maintenance of the new equipment alone would require about 10,000 additional annual work hours.[REMOVE]Fotnote: Åsland, Ragnar. “Pace picks up on Gullfaks A” in Status (Statoil : engelsk) : house journal for the Statoil Group. 1998 Nr. October, p. 6.
In parallel with the start-up of Phase I production, work began on modifications, piping, and drilling for Phase II. While the first phase focused primarily on oil, gas played a more central role in the second phase. Modifications were largest on Gullfaks C during this phase.
Start of production for VigdisProduction start for Gullveig