From October 2004 gas from the Statoil-operated Kvitebjørn field in the North Sea will be converted to natural gas liquids (NGL) in a new plant at Kollsnes near Bergen.
This solution for the Kvitebjørn gas has been chosen by the Troll partners, and a plan for development and operation (PDO) will be submitted to the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy shortly.
“This will increase value creation and develop the gas treatment facilities at Kollsnes and Mongstad,” says Sigurd Geir Amland, operations vice president for Troll.
The NGL plant represents an investment of around NOK 3 billion. Linde AG in Munich, Germany has been awarded the main contract for engineering, procurement and construction.
The Kvitebjørn gas is considerably richer in condensate than gas from the Troll field. The new NGL plant makes it possible to recover much more of the condensate than the existing plant, reports Mr Amland.
After the Kvitebjørn gas has been treated, it will be exported to continental Europe. The condensate will be transported to the Vestprosess facilities at Mongstad for processing before it is shipped out.
“The NGL plant is an important link in the value chain that stretches from Tampen, Sogn and the Troll area via Kollsnes to Mongstad,” adds Mr Amland.
NGL include the propane, butane and naphtha in the gas flow. Mr Amland says that the increased volumes of NGL will improve the profitability of the existing plants and will pave the way for further industrial development. In addition, greater capacity will allow increased use of the Troll facilities for gas export, treatment of gas from other fields and support services.
Gas from the Troll field has been treated at Kollsnes since 1996.