Starting up the Åsgard facility at Statoil's Kårstø treatment complex north of Stavanger has enhanced flexibility, increased value creation and improved regularity.
"We've gained more options for routing gas when it arrives," says senior engineer Olav Bådsvik in the processing plants unit.
"That means we're better placed to safeguard delivery obligations to our customers in continental Europe."
When rich gas arrives by pipeline at the complex, it is sent either to the Statpipe facility or the newly-built Åsgard plant.
Natural gas liquids – propane, butane and ethane – are separated out for subsequent export by ship from Kårstø. The remaining lean gas is compressed and sent through Europipe II to Germany.
"Separating the NGLs from the lean gas achieves a huge value-added," says public affairs manager Kjell Varlo Larsen at the complex.
"Based on today's prices, the gross value of products passing over our jetties is roughly NOK 25 billion per year."
Markets for NGLs are largely different from those for lean gas. So NGL output from Kårstø can be increased without necessarily needing higher lean gas sales.
When the gas flow in one leg of the Statpipe line was reversed in connection with the start-up of Europipe II, it provided opportunities for piping gas from such fields as Troll and the Sleipner area to Kårstø and on to Germany.
The Statpipe leg from Kårstø to the Draupner transport hub in the North Sea can also be used when required to export gas.