Offshore staff
STAVANGER, Norway – Statoil and its partners in the Åsgard licenses in the Norwegian Sea plan to implement subsea gas compression. The aim is to sustain production from the Mikkel and Midgard reservoirs.
Øystein Michelsen, Statoil’s executive VP for Development and Production Norway, presented the proposals to Ola Borten Moe, Norway’s minister for Petroleum and Energy.
Subsea compression on Åsgard should improve recovery from Mikkel and Midgard by 278 MMboe. The two fields are 40-50 km (24.8-31 mi) from the Åsgard B platform, which processes their output.
In time, the natural pressure in these two fields is expected to become too low to maintain stable flow and a high production profile from Åsgard B.
To offset the decline, Statoil intends to install seabed compressors near the wellheads in order to increase the pressure. Well streams will go through a common pipeline to Åsgard B.
The proposed concept calls for one subsea template with two compressors, coolers, separators and pumps, and powered by a submarine cable. Modification work will be performed on both Åsgard B and the Åsgard A production ship
The cost of the investment is estimated at NOK 15 billion ($2.757 billion), with a projected start-up of 1Q 2015.
Subsea compression should also expand capacity in the Åsgard Transport pipeline that carries gas from Norwegian Sea installations to the Kårstø plant north of Stavanger.
08/16/2011
