Statoil has entered into a three-year agreement with Aker Kværner and Linde Gas LLC to develop technology for the offshore production, storage, and offloading of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The alliance will work to enable the exploitation of larger gas fields in remote areas.

With interests in Nigeria, Venezuela, and Brazil, Statoil plans to play a greater role around the Atlantic margins in supplying LNG to the US market, while Aker Kværner and Linde hope to provide technical solutions and engineering studies. Annual growth of 5-10% is expected for new LNG plant construction.

The alliance is a successor to the Statoil - Linde LNG technology alliance, which led to the development of the next generation of spiral-wound heat exchangers (SWHEs) and the mixed fluid cascade liquefaction process (MFC). SWHEs have already been delivered to Shell for LNG projects on the North West Shelf of Australia and in Brunei, and are en route for the Shell Sakhalin project and Statoil's Snøhvit development. Scheduled to come into operation at Snøhvit in 2006, MFC uses electric motors as compressor drivers for the first time.

The new alliance will focus on the development, concepts, and solutions for offshore LNG production plants, with particular attention to the integration of the liquefaction facility, module-based construction methods, required gas treatment, and utility systems.

08/26/04