ABB has entered a five year 100 MUSD joint industry program (JIP) with Statoil and two other oil & gas companies for the development of next-generation subsea power system.
The five year program is centred on the development of technologies required to power and control large-scale subsea pumping and gas-compression projects planned for the Norwegian continental shelf, the Gulf of Mexico and other places around the world. Subsea pumping and gas compression contributes to improved utilization of oil and gas resources through greater recovery rates, reduced production costs and the further development of deep water production.
The deliverables from the program are a pressure compensated medium voltage distribution unit and two pressure compensated variable speed drives for large pumps and compressors.
The JIP will provide solutions for transmission of electrical power up to 100 megawatts (MW) over a distance of 600 kilometers and to depths up to 3,000 meters. This is important for the development of remote oil and gas fields located far from other infrastructure.