Oil and Wind Industries Join Forces for New Project

The concept of using wind power for offshore and oil and gas applications is one step closer to realization with WIN WIN (WINd powered Water Injection), a DNV GL-led joint industry project (JIP). Project participants are ExxonMobil, ENI Norge, Nexen Petroleum UK Ltd., Statoil, VNG, PG Flow Solutions, and ORE Catapult. Initial DNV GL studies showed that a standalone wind-powered water-injection system could become cost competitive for various types of applications, particularly for water injection far from the production platform and when costly retrofitting is not an option. DNV GL launched the WIN WIN JP to help develop the concept further. The project is now in the phase where the technical concept is being developed and the technical feasibility assessed in detail. Two of the main challenges being addressed are the off-grid operation of the system and the reservoir’s response to variable injection rates. Once these technical challenges are cleared, the concept’s economic viability will be analyzed using realistic cases provided by JIP partners. The JIP has been up and running since the beginning of 2015 and is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2016.