British oil giant BP has received consent from the Petroleum Safety Authority (PSA) to extend the operating life of the Ula oil export pipeline located offshore Norway.

The offshore safety authority has now given BP consent to operate the pipeline until the production licence expires on December 31, 2028.

The Ula oil field is located in the North Sea, NNW of the Ekofisk field, in about 70 metres of water. It consists of three conventional steel facilities.

The oil from the Ula field is exported through a 20” pipeline via Ekofisk to Teeside. All gas is re-injected into the reservoir to enhance recovery of oil.

The export pipeline from Ula to Ekofisk was installed in 1984 and commissioned in 1986, with a planned operating life of 30 years. The pipeline is 74 km long.