Subsea Compression Systems

Subsea compression has a long list of merits: it provides a better business case by cutting costs and increasing production, it is safer, being remotely operated, and has lower carbon footprint compared to other solutions.

Placing the compressor on the seabed spares the enormous cost of building and operating an offshore platform. Moving the compressor closer to the wellhead, increases production because of a lower pressure drop in the pipeline downstream, hence, the power required is lower compared to the alternatives. Subsea compression is also an ideal solution for deep waters and harsh climates.

Best in the Industry

Aker Solutions delivered the world’s first subsea compression system to the Åsgard field in 2015. Our system provides a wide performance envelope, with the highest power, flowrate and pressure ratio capabilities in the industry. It is a robust and flexible solution, ensuring high liquid tolerance and wide density range. The system is expected to boost recovery from the Equinor-operated Norwegian Sea field by 306 million barrels of oil equivalents.

The Åsgard system consists of modules for two identical trains of compressors, pumps, scrubbers and coolers. At the heart of the system is Aker Solutions' compression module, implementing a reliable and robust design with a minimized number of moving parts and supporting systems. For example, the bearings are magnetic and do not require a lubrication system and need only low voltage power for their operation. The compressor and its high speed electric drive motor are housed in a single, hermetically sealed enclosure and motor and bearings are cooled by process gas.

Since 2015, the two compressor units at Åsgard have achieved design performance figures of more than 99% availability, and with a significantly lower carbon footprint than a comparable topside installation.

Aker Solutions and MAN Energy Solutions

Based on the experience and cooperation from the successful delivery of the Åsgard subsea compression project, Aker Solutions and MAN Energy Solutions have since 2015 joined forces in an exclusive alliance to develop subsea compression systems. The focus of the alliance is to develop new, cost-effective technologies for high-capacity subsea compression systems.