Wedoany.com Report-Oct. 8, Equinor ASA has begun phase 2 of its Asgard subsea compression project in the Asgard and Mikkel licenses in the Norwegian Sea, in partnership with several energy companies. The project aims to maintain production from the fields by increasing pipeline pressure between the wells and the Asgard B platform, according to a company news release.

The project will help maintain production from the field by increasing the pressure in the pipelines between the wells and the Asgard B platform.

With phase 1 included, Equinor expects the recovery rate from the Mikkel and Midgard fields to rise to 90%, representing an additional 306 million barrels of oil equivalent, thanks to the compressor plant. The Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for Asgard subsea compression was approved in 2012, with the first phase coming online in 2015. Asgard A started production in 1999 and Asgard B in 2000.

Phase 2 involves advanced subsea compressor modules. The first module was replaced in 2023, and the second and final module has been installed at a depth of 886 feet (270 meters). Equinor said the project represents the world’s first gas compression facility on the seabed, the result of extensive technological development.

Trond Bokn, Equinor senior vice president for project development, said: “In this project, Equinor, together with partners and suppliers, has further developed and qualified the next generation of compressor modules. The technology allows us to recover more gas from producing fields. Good resource utilization is important to maintain high and stable production from the Norwegian continental shelf.”

Randi Hugdahl, vice president for exploration and production for Åsgard and Kristin, added: “The compressor system has produced stably for ten years with almost 100 percent uptime. The system has so far contributed to increased value creation from the field of about NOK 175 billion.”

The Asgard licensees are Equinor Energy AS (35.01%), Petoro AS (34.53%), Vår Energi ASA (22.65%), and TotalEnergies EP Norge AS (7.81%). The Mikkel licensees are Equinor Energy (43.97%), Vår Energi (48.38%), and Repsol Norge AS (7.65%).

Separately, Equinor reported last month that the first carbon dioxide (CO2) injection has been completed for the Northern Lights joint venture, which is equally owned by Equinor, Shell, and TotalEnergies. Equinor, acting as technical service provider, is responsible for constructing the Oygarden facility, offshore installations, and operating the CO2 plant.

The Northern Lights phase 1 development has a capacity of 1.5 million metric tons of CO2 per year. CO2 is transported from Heidelberg Materials’ cement factory in Brevik via ship, offloaded, moved through a 100-kilometer pipeline, and injected into the Aurora reservoir beneath the North Sea seabed.

Equinor said the expansion of Northern Lights will leverage existing infrastructure and add onshore storage tanks, a new jetty, and additional injection wells. The project aims to support long-term carbon storage and strengthen Norway’s role in CO2 management and emission reduction efforts.