Norske Shell has initiated subsea compression at the deepwater Ormen Lange gas field in the Norwegian Sea.
According to partner Vår Energi, the compression system, designed to boost production, started operating ahead of schedule and below budget.
The Ormen Lange Phase III project involved installation of two subsea compression stations engineered to increase recovery from the field from the previous target of 75% to 85%. Each is powered by new 120-km-long cables connected to the Norwegian grid.
Norske Shell’s plan for development and operation estimated an additional 30 Bcm to 50 Bcm of gas could be produced.
The field, in water depth of 800 m to more than 1,100 m, began production in 2017. Its wellstream is transported in two multiphase pipelines to the Nyhamna terminal in western Norway for processing.
From there, the gas is exported through the Noirwegian gas trunkline system to markets in mainland Europe, and via the Langeled pipeline south across the North Sea to Easington on the English east coast.
Shell is operator (17.8%), with partners being Vår Energi (6.3%), Petoro (36.5%), Equinor Energy (25.3%) and Orlen Upstream Norway (14%).
