A DNV GL-led project has found that wind-powered water injection oil recovery is technically feasible and offers a cost-competitive alternative to conventional water injection solutions.
The DNV GL-led Win Win1 joint industry project (JIP) has used floating wind turbines to power a water injection system in a bid to determine its technical and commercial feasibility.
The project saw participation from both the renewable and oil and gas industries that included ExxonMobil, ENI Norge, Nexen Petroleum UK, Statoil, VNG Norge, PG Flow Solutions and ORE Catapult.
DNV GL said that the project compared the costs for wind powered water injection with a conventional alternative, where water is injected through flow line from the host platform.
Though the Win Win technology has higher operational expenditures, the significantly lower capital expenditure for the technology is expected to be beneficial in the long-term.
DNV GL group president and CEO Remi Eriksen said: "For the first time we can now see renewable energy as a large scale source of power to offshore oil & gas operations.
"The WIN WIN project showcases that the oil and gas industry can become a creative force in solving the world’s energy trilemma by driving development of reliable, clean and affordable technologies. This is a win for both the oil and gas and for the wind power industries."
Although no major challenges have been identified, the JIP’s study showed that the WIN WIN technology is commercially competitive alternative in a range of cases particularly when injection wells are located far away.
DNV GL project sponsor and segment leader of floating wind turbines Johan Sandberg said: "To develop the concept further, a next step would be to test critical subsystems in a small scale physical set-up.
"The key objective would be to gain assurance that the components integrated in this configuration will offer satisfactory performance over time with a variable power input."
Image: The DNV GL-led JIP revealed that WIN WIN technology is commercially competitive alternative in a range of cases. Photo: courtesy of DNV GL AS.