Pressure boost on Troll A platform

Offshore staff

(Norway)-Statoil's Troll A gas platform in the North Sea reported a production boost of 110 MMcm, up from 85 MMcm/d following completion of a pre-compression project.

The Troll reservoir has experienced declining pressure, meaning that compression is needed to help drive production to the gas processing plant at Kollsnes near Bergen. The project was brought in both on schedule and at budget, and has allowed the platform to now deliver up to 27 bcm/yr of gas.

Another unique feature of this development is that the two compressors installed on the A platform are powered from land. Using electricity from land, this has replaced the need to power the compressors on the platform by gas turbines.

This in turn, means no carbon dioxide or nitrogen oxide emissions on the platform. As Geir Amland, operations vice president for Troll/Kvitebjørn explains, gas turbines "would have released about 230,000 tons of carbon dioxide and 230 tons of nitrogen oxide annually."

Electricity is transmitted to the platform through high voltage direct current (HVDC) cables specially developed and delivered by ABB.

"This represents a very successful outcome for the licensees, who dared to commit to a new application for an environment-friendly technology," says Amland.
Investment in the project is NOK 3.6 billion. On stream since 1996, Troll A is the only Norwegian offshore platform to be powered from land.

10/6/2005