Offshore staff

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- Maersk Oil has acquired licenses to a technique that can lift recovery from technically demanding or mature fields.

Clean Energy’s Oxy-Fuel technology uses pure oxygen to combust natural gas or other fuels to produce water, electricity and carbon dioxide (CO₂). The system allows water and power to be provided to consumers, while the captured CO₂ is diverted for enhanced oil and gas recovery projects, which Maersk claims ensures a zero emission operation.

The process, which took 15 years to developing, employs technology derived from the rocket industry. According to Maersk, commercial-scale tests are due to be conducted in California.

Maersk says the process can be used offshore and it is suited to low-quality gas fields containing CO₂. The latter is separated from condensed steam following combustion, and can then be re-injected into a field to increase oil or gas recovery.

01/25/2011