Research and development relating to liquefied natural gas (LNG) have been pursued by Statoil for more than 20 years.
This work has embraced fundamental issues related to thermodynamics, flow and kinetics.
The group has focused on three approaches to LNG R&D:
- joint industry projects
- contract research and purchase of services
- those aspects of greatest strategic significance for Statoil, which have been tackled in-house.
Together with Linde, a large German company with a long history in cryogenic technology, Statoil has developed spirally-wound heat exchangers (SWHE). These can be used for gas liquefaction both on land and in future offshore facilities.
The technology alliance with Linde has also yielded a patented cooling solution, currently used in the Snøhvit project. This represents Europe’s only large-scale gas liquefaction plant.
Over two decades, Statoil has supported and built up leading-edge expertise at a number of national and international academic institutions. The results of this commitment include 15 doctoral theses and several industry-financed professorial chairs.
Large Norwegian programmes for R&D initiated by the government have also been supported both financially and through in-house expertise. One example is the state programme for utilisation of natural gas (Spung).
Statoil will continue to play a leading role in LNG-related R&D in Norway. Its ambition is to be the technological leader in such areas as production optimisation, gas liquefaction, (utfrysning) and carbon dioxide management in the gas chain.