Professor Stig Berge (61) and Svein Sævik (45) were presented with Statoil’s 12th research prize today, 19 June, for many years of commitment to developing dynamic risers.
Prof Berge works in the department for marine structures at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim.
Dr Sævik is employed by Marintek, part of the Sintef research foundation in the same city.
The pair have worked to develop good solutions for floating production systems, which depend on dynamic – or flexible – risers.
Almost 40 per cent of Norwegian offshore production is channelled through such lines, either via satellite facilities or directly from subsea installations to floating units.
Through good team work, the prizewinners have made a strong contribution to this type of field development - applied on Åsgard, Visund and Kristin, for instance.
Prof Berge and Dr Sævik have collaborated for many years, with the latter developing the theory and the numerical models, and the former serving as the prime mover in experimental work.
“They have jointly produced trail-blazing and highly necessary technology for floating production systems in rough-weather regions,” says chief researcher Arnt Olufsen.
“Statoil is internationally recognised today as a pioneer in the use of such solutions.”
Worth NOK 200 000, the prize was presented at the group’s research centre in Trondheim together with a lithograph by local contemporary artist Steinar Hansen for each winner.
The award is intended to recognise research results achieved at a high international level in a discipline considered important for Statoil.