Norwegian liquefied natural gas companies and state-led oil and gas projects, along with the Government and universities, continue to investment in research and development to advance innovation and safety in fields such as the integrity of gas terminals and the LNG transfer space.
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Independent operations and engineering services company Offshore Design Engineering (ODE) has just been awarded a new contract with GASSCO AS, the Norwegian pipelines and terminals operator, to work on the findings of its gas terminals integrity review.
That project is the latest in a three-year relationship between London-headquartered ODE, an international technical service provider to the oil and gas markets and part of the Doris Group, and GASSCO.
The operations of GASSCO are responsible for safe and efficient gas transportation from the Norwegian Continental Shelf to mainland Europe and the UK.
GASSCO’s infrastructure includes export processing plants, gas receiving terminals and an 8,300-kilometre network of pipelines and offshore platforms.
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In another project, Connect LNG, the Norwegian technology provider of a jetty-less system for marine loading and bunkering, has been awarded financing from the Research Council of Norway to form the FlexMarin project with SINTEF, the largest independent non-profit research organisation in Scandinavia.
The funding under the Norwegian MAROFF programme is being provided to support cost-effective innovations in the LNG value chain and beyond.
Connect LNG said that the FlexMarin project is a shorted version of “Flexible Marine Infrastructure”.
The company said that with SINTEF's support it will develop new technologies in the LNG transfer space, where much of the focus will be on the process aspects, as process engineering is SINTEF Energy's speciality.
The FlexMarin project will run for three years.
Connect LNG’s trade-marked mobile Universal Transfer System (See photo), which was commercialized and delivered to Spain’s Naturgy Energy Group in 2017, has already been recognized for its potential as an alternative to fixed infrastructure.
Connect LNG and SINTEF Energy have both previously been awarded significant funding to reduce emissions in the maritime and power generation sectors.
With roots from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Connect LNG is an independent Norwegian technology company.
SINTEF, for its part, operates in partnership with the NTNU in Trondheim in Norway and also collaborates with the University of Oslo as well as other research organisations in Norway and abroad.
Connect LNG’s patented UTS jetty-less transfer system is a floating LNG transfer solution, consisting of a platform which can connect to any LNG carrier.
LNG is then safely and efficiently transferred from the platform to the recipient through floating flexible pipes.
The other project involves GASSCO, a company with an exemplary record in safety performance.
“ODE has been awarded a technical service contract, and this reflects our past working experiences, the company’s knowledge of our assets, and its capabilities to meet our expectations,” said GASSCO Project Manager Dag Olav Saeverud.
GASSCO undertook Barrier Integrity Reviews (BIR) across all its European gas terminals to assess existing facility conditions against its high performance standards.
The contract will see ODE work with GASSCO to align solutions and co-ordinate implementation plans based on these initial reviews, and is scheduled to last approximately nine months.
Despite the current Covid-19 pandemic impacting operations around the world, ODE’s work for GASSCO will commence immediately, with the project being initiated and coordinated while remote working is in effect for ODE employees.
With offices in London, Aberdeen and Great Yarmouth, ODE supplies a range of services, including engineering and asset management, to oil and gas and renewables companies around the world.
A frame agreement has seen the company provide engineering support to GASSCO since 2017.
“This key contract award is a great opportunity for ODE to once again support and build on our relationship with GASSCO. I am delighted our technical capabilities, asset familiarity, and track record played a part in us securing this latest phase of work with a valued client,” said ODE Project Manager Chris Lomax.
“The contract demonstrates our client’s continued trust and faith in us, our technical skills, and our ability to successfully deliver and complete critical projects to the highest possible standard,” added Lomax.
