Aker Solutions & Statoil have been awarded the ONS Innovation Award for the Åsgard subsea gas compression system.
Reservoir pressure in producing gas fields falls over time, causing gas output to decline. For production to continue and maximise recovery from the fields, gas pressure must be raised or production will cease.
Until now the solution has been to install gas compressors on an existing platform, or to build a new manned compression platform. A more cost-effective alternative is to install the compressors on the seabed, near to the wellheads to improve recovery, while reducing overall capital and operating costs.
In 2015 the world's first subsea gas compression station will go on stream in the Åsgard field offshore Norway. This will boost falling gas pressures from the Midgard and Mikkel satellite reservoirs, allowing stable production to continue and enabling an additional 280 million barrels of oil equivalent to be recovered. The project is operated by Statoil and delivered by Aker Solutions.
Subsea compression improves gas recovery and provides many benefits compared to the alternative of installing a new platform. Further benefits include reduced investments and operating costs, a smaller environmental footprint and safer operations.
"This technology has the potential to change offshore gas field developments worldwide. With the forecast growth of subsea developments, subsea compression will become widespread, having even more impact as projects move into deeper waters further from shore. We are very pleased to be awarded this prestigious award," says Åsmund Bøe, chief technology officer at Aker Solutions.