Statoil and Gassco, the state owned operating company for the transport of piped gas from the Norwegian continental shelf, have entered into a technology collaboration agreement.
Valued at NOK 50.7 million for 2002, the agreement will be extended through a letter of intent for continued technology cooperation for a further five years, from 2003 to 2008.
Objectives of the agreement include developing the gas treatment plants in order to meet the ever-stricter requirements to emissions, increasing the capacity of the trunkline systems and tying back new fields to the infrastructure safely and efficiently.
The collaboration will include flow technology, pipeline technology, and technology within gas processing. In its many years as operator and technical service provider for the Kårstø gas treatment complex, Statoil has been responsible for many technology innovations within the gas area.
“Gassco acknowledges Statoil’s expertise within research and development, and has no ambitions to reach that level. However, we do intend to reach a level that ensures the optimum utilisation of the expertise available,” reports Brian Bjordal, managing director of Gassco, adding that Statoil will be the main supplier of services within research and development. Mr Bjordal is keen to highlight the results and wants the work to lead to increased value creation.
Gunnar Myrebøe, Statoil’s vice president for technology development at the group’s research centre at Rotvoll in Trondheim, hopes to achieve a sense of community in which Gassco shares the same objectives.
“I look forward to having Gassco as a positive and demanding partner, and hope that the foundation for a good cooperation has been laid,” concludes Mr Myrebøe.