Aker Solutions to reuse existing equipment for new Asgard subsea compression module

Aker Solutions has secured a contract with Equinor to deliver engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of a subsea compression module to be installed at the Åsgard gas field offshore Norway.

The contract covers Aker Solutions’ fifth subsea compression module to be delivered for the Åsgard subsea gas compression system.

The new module will be a copy of the previously awarded fourth module and will partly be built reusing existing equipment.

Engineering will be carried out mainly at Aker Solutions’ offices in Fornebu and the fabrication work will be done at its yard in Egersund, Norway.

According to Aker Solutions, the module will be installed at the actively producing field with limited need to interrupt production.

Work starts immediately, and the module is planned to be ready for delivery in August 2024.

“The continued Åsgard development demonstrates how we can help further enhance recovery rates at existing fields, while maintaining and reusing existing infrastructure and subsea equipment,” said Maria Peralta, executive vice president and head of Aker Solutions’ subsea business.

“It also demonstrates the value of Aker Solutions’ modular compression system which is scalable and flexible to support enhanced production at declining reservoir pressures. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Equinor and maintaining our strong focus on safe and efficient operations, with lower environmental footprint.”

The Åsgard field development is located in the Norwegian Sea, around 200 kilometers off mid-Norway, in water depths of around 240-310 meters.

The gas from the Åsgard field is piped, via Kårstø, to continental Europe, and, according to Equinor, the field supplies about 11 billion cubic meters of gas annually to European customers.

Aker Solutions delivered and installed the Åsgard subsea gas compression system in 2015, the year it became the world’s first subsea gas compression facility to commence operation.

Since the concept phase, Aker Solutions and Equinor have been working to prepare for extended operations at the field. As part of this work, the existing compression modules are in cooperation with Equinor and MAN Energy Solutions being refurbished and upgraded to accommodate a higher compression ratio for the system.

The purpose is to enhance production and extend the field’s lifetime as the pressure in the reservoir naturally declines. The system is also designed for continuous liquid injection in the compression module, making it a wet gas compression solution.