Operators’ Technology Plans are reflecting industry priorities to reduce offshore greenhouse gas emissions.
Reduction of flaring and venting emissions are targeted, for instance, through technologies able to recover flash gas and/or improve flare combustion efficiency.
Operators are targeting power emissions through more efficient equipment, alternative low-carbon fuels, hybrid power systems, and/or replacing conventional power generation with renewable power from offshore windfarms or the shore.
Interest in carbon storage is growing rapidly and innovative technologies are needed in areas ranging from site characterisation, to well and facility design, and the Monitoring, Measurement and Verification of CO2 injection over the lifetime of the carbon store.
2024 technology survey data is showing an increase in the reporting of hydrogen production related technologies (3 Operators)
Net Zero technologies
In line with industry commitments to the North Sea Transition Deal to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, interest in technologies to address Flaring & Venting, Energy Efficiency, and Low-Carbon Power has grown significantly
Companies with the largest operational footprint in the UKCS show greatest interest, but in general there is a broad presence of these technologies in the reported plans (23 Operators out of 50)
Net Zero is defined in this document as a ‘cross-cutting’ category, where technologies are an integral part of the offshore asset lifecycle (chart below)
Technology solutions for Net Zero tended to be less proven than in other more mature categories, but in the latest survey nearer half are reported at first deployment or still under development
Operators are getting more involved directly in the technology development cycle in this area, often in partnership with vendors and the Net Zero Technology Centre
Readiness definitions: Early Development (TRL 1-4), Late Development/Pilot (TRL 5-7), Early commercialisation (TRL 8), Proven (TRL 9)
Flaring & venting monitoring and reduction technologies are showing an increased focus as Operators align with achieving zero routine flaring, open reporting aligned with the principles of OGMP 2.0, and anticipating methane’s inclusion in UK ETS proving strong combined drivers. Liquid ring compressors for flare gas recovery is noted. New this year are intelligent wireline formation testing programme, improved data search and classification of well information, and online flare combustion efficiency measurement.
Net zero technologies targeting low carbon power/electrification are focussed on substituting/reducing the dependency on fuelling gas turbine on-platform power. This includes platform electrification from grid or from local floating offshore wind, hybrid power systems, topsides and subsea power packs for short-term energy storage, and alternative low carbon fuels for turbines / engines, wave energy for subsea power systems and further renewable power sources from floating wind and power from shore. New this year are an energy pod, photovoltaics and fuel cell power generation.
Energy Efficiency technologies are maintaining focus amongst Operators as a cost-effective way of reducing emissions which also reduces fuel consumption and boosts exported production over the remaining asset life. New this year are turbine power management system obsolescence upgrades, an optimised power management and integrated operations centre, and remote operations centres for survey by ASVs. Emerging technologies are capacitive transfer system cable design requiring smaller cable diameters with reduced losses, and a remote operations project.
Multiple new projects at scale are emerging this year with a focus on CCS enabling technologies at all stages including transportation, well and tree design, subsurface assessments for reservoir containment, assessment of risks for storage in existing abandoned reservoirs and monitoring, measurement and verification of CO2 injection into depleted reservoirs. New this year are Seabed 4D gravity monitoring, gas sequestration and seabed digital acoustic sensing. Emerging technology is assessment of impurity impact on CO2 streams.
