The Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has asked Gassco to include the use of vessels when carrying out analyses of gas transport from the Norwegian continental shelf (NCS).


This is intended to highlight opportunities offered by alternatives to pipelines, which rank today as the principal export solution for Norwegian gas deliveries.

 

Gassco is operator for much of the gas infrastructure on the NCS, including the processing plants at Kårstø north of Stavanger and Kollsnes near Bergen.

 

The company also has a role as infrastructure developer, which involves making integrated assessments of new gas processing and transport solutions.

 

“Evaluating liquefied natural gas (LNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) shipments accordingly represents an extension of our existing job,” says Thor Otto Lohne, Gassco’s senior vice president for financial and commercial development.

 

“Good forward-looking solutions call for us to think along broader lines, and ship transport would equip us better to meet the demanding challenges which face the NCS.

 

“Apart from technological issues such as deep waters, wave heights, and high reservoir temperature and pressure, gas finds lie far apart. Ship transport could then be a relevant option.”

 

Gassco has already studied LNG shipments from the Luva field in Norwegian Sea as a full or partial export solution. It is, however, a significant less costly solution to build a pipeline to the existing gas infrastructure.

 

CNG is now being assessed as a possible solution for transporting gas from sea areas further to the north.

 

NOTES TO EDITORS
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Liquefied natural gas (LNG) consists primarily of methane liquefied by cooling to below -160°C, which reduces its volume more than 600 times. It may also contain some ethane, other hydrocarbons and nitrogen.

 

LNG is produced primarily to simplify long-distance gas transport by specialised carriers. At the destination terminal, the LNG is regasified and fed via the local distribution system to industry or power stations.

 

Compressed natural gas (CNG) is pressurised to 200-248 bar, which reduces it to less than one per cent of its volume at atmospheric pressure.

 

Gas compression is not currently a commercial concept for transport by sea, but could be an attractive alternative for short distances and small volumes.

 

(23.8.2010)

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