Uchenna Izundu
International Editor
LONDON, Jan. 21 -- StatoilHydro has asked the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority for a permit to emit more carbon dioxide as it seeks an extension for the start-up period at the Snovhit LNG project near Hammerfest.
Unexpected repairs to leaks in the cooling system have affected its start-up timetable of 6-10 months to increase LNG production, but StatoilHydro is unsure of how long that will now take. Production started last September and this will plateau at 5.7 billion cu m/year of gas.
A StatoilHydro spokesman told OGJ that Snovhit will run at reduced capacity—about 60%—and it will take equity volumes of 25,000-30,000 boe/d. "But there's great uncertainty around this," he said. Efforts are under way to ensure that Snovhit will run at full capacity in 2009.
Ordinarily the plant would emit 200,000 million tonnes/year of carbon and StatoilHydro estimates this could jump up to 1.5 million tonnes/year of CO2 and 2,200 tonnes of soot during the start-up period. Reduced capacity utilization and other possible modifications have resulted in higher carbon emissions during the start-up period.
Contact Uchenna Izundu at [email protected].