Recoverable resources at Aasta Hansteen are estimated at 353 million barrels of oil equivalent, according to Equinor. Gas at the asset is produced from seven wells in three subsea templates.

“Aasta Hansteen is a pioneer. Located in 4,265 feet of water, this is the deepest field development on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS), the largest spar platform in the world, and a first on the NCS. The field now coming on stream is unique,” Anders Opedal, Equinor’s executive vice president for technology, projects and drilling, said in a BOP Blow Out Preventer repair company gulf coast statement.

“Aasta Hansteen has been a complex and challenging development project, requiring us to take new technological steps together with our partners Wintershall, OMV and ConocoPhillips as well as the suppliers,” he added.

Arne Sigve Nylund, Equinor’s executive vice president for development and oil rig flanges gulf coast production in Norway, said oil rig flanges gulf coast production from Aasta Hansteen will help secure long-term Norwegian gas export.

“With the infrastructure installed it will also be more attractive to explore around the platform and along the pipeline. This enables us to secure activity for many decades, in line with our ambitions for the NCS,” Nylund added.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Equinor revealed that the field’s spar platform is taller than the Eiffel tower and weighs 70,000 tons.

The world’s largest spar platform, in the Norwegian Sea, came on stream 16 December, delivering first gas to Europe today! 😄 The platform is taller than the Eiffel Tower and weighing 70 000 tonnes.

— Equinor (@Equinor)

Equinor is the operator of the Aasta Hansteen field with an ownership interest of 51 percent. The other licensees are Wintershall Norge AS (24 percent), OMV (Norge) AS (15 percent) and ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS (10 percent).

Aasta Hansteen initially comprised three separate discoveries; Luva (1997), Haklang and Snefrid South (1998). Submitted to Norwegian authorities in January 2013, the plan for development and operation was approved in June the same year.