Offshore staff

STAVANGER, Norway – With the flip of a switch earlier this week, Statoil’s Gjøa platform on the Norwegian continental shelf became the first floating platform to get its electrical power from shore. Power comes from Mongstad, north of Bergen, via a 90,000 volt, 100-km (62-mi) long subsea cable that Statoil says is the world’s longest alternating current cable installed in one piece at such a high voltage.

The cable has both static and flexible sections, with the flexible part going from the seabed up to the platform. Developing the technology for this flexible section was the most challenging, says Statoil. ABB worked with the company for several years to solve the problems.

Statoil is the operator for Gjøa in the development phase. In 4Q 2010, GdF Suez takes over operation of the production phase.

The end of the 100-km-long power cable is pulled on board the Gjøa platform. The cable is the world’s longest of its kind. Photo: Jan Richard Finne/Statoil.


07/15/2010