Two oil & gas firms handpick Norwegian player for rig and FSU work

Norway-based cleantech service provider Soiltech has won two contracts for the treatment of contaminated water, one for a floating storage unit (FSU) with Norwegian state-owned energy giant Equinor, and the other for a jack-up rig with Petrogas E&P Netherlands, a part of Oman-based Petrogas E&P.

The deal with Equinor entails the treatment of contaminated water on the FSU Njord Bravo, located on the Njord oil and gas field in the Norwegian Sea. The field was reopened last March following a life extension project.

Soiltech considers this a milestone as it will be the first time its slop treatment technology (STT) is used on an FSU, with the start scheduled for Q3 2024. Equinor previously extended Soiltech’s drilling waste management contract for a platform in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea in April.

Jan Erik Tveteraas, Soiltech’s CEO, noted: “While this is a short contract, we are proud to be selected by Equinor for the project. It will give us valuable experience from treating waste fractions onboard an FSU. Subject to the requirement of Equinor’s operations, we might be called out from time to time to perform similar services.”

The second contract is for treating contaminated water on the Noble Resolute jack-up rig, whose contract with Petrogas was extended in February. The firm describes the contract as sizable, a term it uses for contracts worth NOK 3–10 million (approximately $282,000–940,000). In April, Petrogas hired the Norwegian player for the treatment of drilling waste on another rig it operates, Noble Resilient.

“For Soiltech this is an important contract as we continue to develop sustainable waste management solutions supporting the ongoing decarbonization of the energy sector. As environmental regulations continue to tighten world-wide, we see an increase in the demand for our technologies,” added the company’s CEO.

The cleantech firm claims its technology reduces the fluid waste generated during operations by up to 95%. Consequently, the amount of waste to be treated onshore is lower, helping reduce carbon emissions and cut costs for the client. Furthermore, Soiltech says no chemicals will be discharged into the sea as none are used in the treatment process.

The firm recently inked other deals for the treatment of contaminated water on semi-submersible drilling rigs, one with Odfjell Drilling in April and another with Tullow Oil in May.