Norway's Equinor Cancels Compressor Modification at North Sea Gas Field, Expected to Add 2.3 Billion Cubic Meters of Natural Gas Supply

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 15, Norwegian energy company Equinor announced that the Troll gas field license partners have decided to adjust the implementation plan for the Troll West Electrification (TWEL) project in the North Sea, canceling the second electric gas export compressor originally planned for installation on the Troll C platform. According to Equinor's estimates, this move will avoid production declines of up to 21 months caused by modification work on the platform, and is expected to supply approximately 2.3 billion standard cubic meters of additional natural gas to the European market from 2027 to 2028.

This adjustment involves the development and operation plan approved in 2021. Under the original plan, the Troll C platform required relatively lengthy facility modifications to install the second electric export compressor. When the project was approved, the partners expected to compensate for the reduced gas supply during the Troll C modification period by increasing production from the Troll A platform. However, since 2023, the Troll gas field has been operating at maximum capacity year-round, and the originally planned cross-platform production compensation conditions have changed.

Equinor also disclosed that the compressor planned for cancellation was expected to be needed only until the mid-2030s, while the Troll C platform is expected to operate until around 2050. The license partners have notified the Norwegian Ministry of Energy of the adjustment decision, and the TWEL project will conclude construction under the revised plan after the first electric export compressor on Troll C is commissioned.

The Troll gas field consists of three platforms: Troll A, Troll B, and Troll C. Troll A has been powered by shore power since 1996, while Troll B and Troll C achieved partial electrification in 2024. The TWEL project has already reduced carbon dioxide emissions in the Troll area by approximately 330,000 tonnes per year, equivalent to 75% of the 440,000-tonne annual emission reduction target set in the original 2021 development plan.

Under the adjusted equipment configuration, after the TWEL project is completed, Troll B will retain 1 electric export compressor and 2 gas-driven export compressors; Troll C will be equipped with 2 electric export compressors and 1 gas-driven export compressor. Due to the cancellation of the additional equipment installation, Troll C's electricity demand will be correspondingly reduced, and approximately 26 megawatts of reserved power capacity at Kollsnes will be released for other uses.

The Troll gas field license partners include Petoro AS, Equinor Energy AS, A/S Norske Shell, TotalEnergies EP Norge AS, and ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS, with ownership interests of 55.92838%, 30.55480%, 8.18531%, 3.69096%, and 1.64055%, respectively. Equinor Energy AS serves as the field operator, responsible for related production operations and project implementation.