MAN Subsea Compression Trains Hit 50,000 Hours

MAN Energy Solutions’ first subsea compression trains at Equinor’s Åsgard field have achieved 50,000 operating hours with nearly 100% availability.

Åsgard became the world’s first subsea gas compression facility to operate 984 ft. (300 m) below sea level in 2015. The operation features two HOFIM motor-compressor units from MAN Energy Solutions Switzerland Ltd.

“In the early days we just had a few valves on the sea floor,” said Roald Sirevaag, chief engineer subsea technology of Equinor. “Now there’s almost a complete factory down there.”

By placing compression on the sea floor, the operator gains improved energy efficiency, MAN said. Compressors that operate closer to the well produce higher efficiency and production rates.

The subsea technology also contributes to improvements in recovery rates and gas field longevity. By the end of 2015, analyses indicated that the pressure in Åsgard’s reservoirs would have been too low to ensure stable flows and production, MAN said. The MAN units help extend the reservoirs’ productive life for another 15 years. Overall, around 282 million barrels of oil equivalent will be added, MAN said.