Offshore staff
ZURICH, Switzerland – The subsea compression trains at the Equinor-operated Åsgard field in the Norwegian Sea have delivered 50,000 operational hours with an availability of close to 100%.
In 2015, Åsgard became the world’s first subsea gas compression facility to enter service, 300 m (984 ft) subsea, and featuring twoHOFIM motor-compressor units supplied by MAN Energy Solutions Switzerland.
By performing compression on the seabed, the operator derives benefits in terms of improved energy efficiency, MAN claimed.
Compressors are used to maintain output as reservoir pressure at gas-producing fields falls over time. The closer the compressor operates to the well, the higher the efficiency and production rates are said to be.
Previous analysis had suggested that by the end of 2015 the pressure in Åsgard’s reservoirs would have been too low to ensure stable flows and satisfactory production, hence the need for compression.
The MAN units should help extend the reservoirs’ productive life for another 15 years, delivering around 282 MMboe.
“The two HOFIM compressor systems in service at Åsgard Subsea have been operated at full load since start-up in 2015 and have delivered reliability and availability above 99% since the beginning,” said Lars Klevjer, vp Operations Åsgard and Stig Folgerø, Leading Advisor Rotating Equipment at Equinor.
12/13/2018
