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Source: Aker Solutions ing production, it is safer, being remotely operated, and the ing the successful developments of new subsea processing environmental footprint of a subsea compression installa- technologies, subsea compression also proved itself a viable tion is signi? cantly lower, offering advantages over topside- alternative ? eld development solution,” he said.

based solutions.” When the Åsgard subsea compression station started up in

But it’s been a long road from when the subsea compression September 2015, it effectively completed the ? nal step for concept was ? rst conceived in the mid-1980s to the ? rst com- technology quali? cation and demonstrated the system bene? ts mercial use a few short years ago. and performance in operation, Nyborg said.

An important milestone along the way, Nyborg said, is The system uses a MAN High-Speed Oil-Free Integrated when Statoil (now Equinor) awarded Aker Solutions a con- Motor (HOFIM) compressor with 11.5 megawatts (MW) tract in December 2010 to supply subsea compression for the compression power. Depending on ? ow rates and pressure,

Åsgard project in the Norwegian Sea. “Apart from showcas- the system is able to provide a pressure ratio up to 3.5, and

JULY/aUGUST 2019 OFFSHORE ENGINEER 33