Norwegian group aims to reduce shuttle emissions

Norway's Den norske stats oljeselskap AS has signed an agreement with a group of Norwegian companies to develop a system to recover volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted during loading of shuttle tankers. Statoil's 100,000 dwt Tove Knutsen shuttle tanker, which operates in Statfjord field, will be fitted with a scale model VOC recovery unit next spring for 12 months of trials. If the scale model trial is successful, a full size unit will be tested in another I year program. The test

Sept. 20, 1993

2 min read

Statoil's 100,000 dwt Tove Knutsen shuttle tanker, which operates in Statfjord field, will be fitted with a scale model VOC recovery unit next spring for 12 months of trials.

If the scale model trial is successful, a full size unit will be tested in another I year program.

The test program will cost 40 million kroner ($5.5 million).

An estimated 700,000 bbl/year of oil vaporizes during offshore buoy loading of more than 400 million bbl of oil from Norwegian fields. The aim of the project is to cut VOC emissions by about 500,000 bbl/year.

Project participants are Statoil, Kvaerner AS of Oslo, Saga Petroleum AS, and Conoco Norway Inc., with additional funding by Norwegian government organizations.

The VOC recovery units will be built by Kvaerner. Statoil said a fully developed system will cost about 20 million kroner ($2.7 million)/vessel, which would be recovered in 3-4 years through lower emissions losses. Kvaerner will market the system if trials prove successful.

Project manager Trygve Egge of Statoil said the VOC recovery plant will be based on an absorption process. VOC gases will be collected in a deck mounted contactor column and pressurized along with oil from the loading line to reabsorb VOCs. Production from the unit will be sent to the cargo hold.

Statfjord and Gullfaks are the only Norwegian fields using shuttle tankers. Draugen and Heidrun fields, under development off Central Norway, also will rely on offshore loading.