Norwegian oil and gas company OKEA, the operator of the giant Draugen platform off Norway, is working on a project that will see the offshore oil production facility powered by floating wind turbines.
The news was shared by the recently formed floating wind tech developer Odfjell Oceanwind which said Friday it had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with OKEA and the utility company TrønderEnergi to jointly evaluate the potential of developing a floating offshore wind farm connected to the Draugen platform. The Draugen oil field sits in about 250 meters of water, and is located around 150 kilometers north of Kristiansund.
"The intention of the potential wind farm is to provide renewable power to the Draugen platform and utilize the Draugen infrastructure, including the planned power from shore cable," Odfjell Oceanwind said.
"The wind farm may also serve the purpose of a flexible storage location for Odfjell Oceanwind’s Mobile Offshore Wind Units (MOWUs), producing renewable energy in between contract periods for off-grid applications. The study will include early-stage technical, economical and regulatory evaluations, as well as the potential impact on the environment and climate," the company added.
“We look forward to further exploring this exciting opportunity in close collaboration with OKEA and TrønderEnergi. The Draugen wind farm project also fits well with Odfjell Oceanwind`s long term strategy to become a leading global floating wind farm O&M and technology provider”, says Odfjell Oceanwind CEO Per Lund.
Draugen field started producing oil in October 1993, via an integrated production, drilling and quarters Draugen platform. The platform topsides stand on a concrete gravity-based structure.
OKEA acquired its interests in the Draugen and Gjøa offshore fields in Norway for 4.52 Billion NOK (US$526 million) from Shell in 2018.
Draugen achieved peak output of about 225 000 bopd in 2001.