About the asset: The Facility is an oil and gas installation located in the Northern North Sea. The facility comprises of two platforms which are connected by a bridge link. One of the platforms has a  number of subsea fields are tied back to these installations.

Katoni’s role in supporting the client: A concept study was executed utilising information provided and modelled in respective Process and Electrical modelling software to determine efficiencies and ultimately demonstrate significant economic advantages.

Three possible options were explored with three different major compressor manufacturers.

1.      Reuse and repurpose existing export compressor with electric drive

2.      New conventional electrically driven compressor

3.      New novel design electrically driven compressor

Understanding the client’s needs & delivery: Currently the Platform operates with two gas turbine driven export gas compressors which facilitate high pressure gas compression for export. Katoni Engineering were requested to investigate the electrification of an export gas compressor. As part of a drive for emissions reduction and optimisations, operating centralised power generation via the gas turbine generators has been explored with increased load by electrifying the export gas compressors. This will be achieved by:

- Potentially operating the gas turbine generators at a higher operating point in the curve resulting in a higher operating efficiency.

-  Removing the gas export compressor from operation on fuel gas, which will remove a potentially oversized gas turbine from service which will be replaced with an electrically driven compressor.

3D Model overview of Gas Export Compressors

The Katoni Way: Katoni has experience in undertaking electrification, emissions reduction and power optimisation projects for other assets in the North Sea and has devised a standardised approach to addressing the feasibility aspects of this challenge.  

From electrifying the export gas compressor this study has identified that emissions reduction for the full platform of up to approximately 23% are possible from improved use of the main electrical distribution system in place of an export gas compressor.