A three-year collaboration has been established by Statoil, Germany’s Linde and Aker Kvaerner of Norway to develop cost-effective technology and solutions for liquefied natural gas.
Covering ship-based production, storage and discharging of LNG in remote areas, this agreement was signed at the ONS show in Stavanger on 25 August.
It extends the fruitful LNG technology alliance established by Statoil and Linde to develop and qualify the components of a new generation of spiral-wound heat exchangers (SWHEs).
”Establishing this new partnership will strengthen our work on LNG technology,” says Ingve R Theodorsen, Statoil’s vice president for research.
”It fits very well with our strategy of developing this technology further into floating production.
”It’s also in line with our strategy of being early in selecting the best technology partners in order to achieve quick development and implementation.”
Through its alliance with Statoil, Linde has become qualified as a manufacturer of SWHEs for gas liquefaction. This in turn has created a new process licenser in the international market.
The SWHEs have already been delivered to Shell’s LNG development in north-western Australia and Brunei, and will be used in the same company’s Sakhalin project in Russia.
In addition, the technology is being applied in Statoil’s Snøhvit gas development in the Barents Sea off northern Norway.
Statoil and Linde have also developed a mixed fluid cascade (MFC) process which was patented in 1997 and forms the basis for the Snøhvit project.
This represents the world’s most efficient condensing process, and is the first solution to incorporate electrical motors for driving the compressors.
The new ”triple alliance” will build further on this technology, particularly in adapting it for use in the maritime environment.
Particular emphasis will be placed on optimal integration of compact plants placed on floating installations.