The Troll A platform in the North Sea. (Photo: Øyvind Hagen)
The two new compressors form the final phase of the planned capacity expansion on Troll A.
“A third of all gas capacity on the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS) is produced on Troll A, making Troll the corner stone of gas supplies to the continent. This will be the case for many years to come,” says Hans Jakob Hegge, senior vice president for operations North Sea east.
Hans Jakob Hegge, senior vice president for operations North Sea east
As a gas producer, Troll has a production capacity and lifetime that far exceeds those of the other NCS fields. The new compressors also prepare the way for the tie-in of gas from Troll West once the oil production has come to an end.
“The Troll field is the major powerhouse on the NCS and is important to Norway’s position as a reliable supplier of gas to continental Europe,” says Hegge.
“Troll A holds the capacity to deliver more gas than the Troll owners plan to export, and can therefore deliver when other fields have to withhold production. In this way the Troll field secures the delivery commitments of other fields.”
The Troll A platform has been developed in several phases. The two latest compressors, which will come on stream in 2015, will enable Troll A to produce 120 million cubic metres per day up until 2018, ensuring the ability to produce 30 billion cubic metres annually until 2024.
“As part of this field development we are also laying a new power supply cable for the Troll A auxiliary systems, and thereby improving the platform regularity,” says Hegge.
Troll A is an environmentally friendly platform and its new compressors will be operated by means of land-based power supply. The compressors are necessary because reservoir pressure drop as the gas is extracted and they ensure that the Troll gas can be transported into the Kollsnes processing plant. The gas is then forwarded to the continent.
Troll delivers gas equivalent to the annual consumption of ten million European households. The reserves on this major field account for 48% of the remaining gas reserves on the NCS.
Troll partners: Petoro (56 %), Statoil (30.58 %), Norske Shell (8.10 %), Total E&P Norge (3.69 %), ConocoPhillips Skandinavia (1.62 %)