As part of the concept select phase, Shell has together with OneSubsea performed detailed power system analyses and executed several tests to validate the concept of providing power from shore on the Ormen Lange subsea compression development. The concept leverages pre-qualified and standard components in a proven power topology. Taking advantage of the testing facilities at Horsøy, a VSD has been operating various loads through a high voltage 120 km step out test arrangement replicating actual cable properties. The testing has included start up, stops, trips, speed and load changes, and operation across the complete frequency range. Both the analyses and testing prove that the concept of operating a load via a 120 km cable is fully feasible and can be evaluated as part of the concept select phase.

Increased recovery by applying subsea boosting in terms of boosting is a field proven solution. As the subsea field developments are evolving and becoming more extensive, the significance of the system realization bottleneck in terms of stepout length feasibility, is continuously increasing. A general perception has been that new offshore platforms or alternatively the use of the non-field proven subsea VSD’s is required for large and long stepouts for subsea boosting. However, based on this step change, power demanding greenfield and brownfield applications can be transformed to low-risk economically viable projects by extending the reach of the field proven power system topologies. This presentation shares insight to the evaluation and confidence steps taken, from concept idea and analysis, to system verification.