StatoilHydros Chief Executive, Helge Lund, has been very ambiguous about when there will be full production at the “Snøhvit” LNG-plant. Since the company started production at the plant at Melkøya there has been a lot of problems, and StatoilHydro has so fall not reached full production. Lund’s previous statements suggested that they would have full production at the beginning of 2009.
StatoilHydro’s delays in the project might however be even worse. A confidential letter from StatoilHydro to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy states that the necessary improvements of the LNG-plant will be carried out only late 2009, according to the internet site e24.no. This means that the LNG-plant at Melkøya probably will not reach full production before 2010 - four years later than the original plans for the development of the “Snøhvit” gas field.
