Partnership explores wave energy to extend life of oil and gas hubs

Wave energy specialists Mocean Energy and offshore energy firm Aker Solutions Subsea will explore how locally generated wave energy can extend the lifetime of existing oil and gas hubs.

The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on wave energy conversion and subsea integrated solutions to develop a means of powering subsea infrastructure.

The partners will undertake feasibility studies for wave-powered tiebacks, aimed at identifying the most economically and environmentally efficient solutions to develop marginal reserves, especially in combination with energy storage.

Using wave energy and subsea energy storage to tie back stranded reserves could extend the life of existing subsea production assets, reducing the need for new oilfield developments.

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Aker Solutions will supply the ocean-power system, including overall subsea system integration, system engineering support and subsea equipment plans.

Mocean Energy will supply the wave energy technology, wave energy specific project engineering and energy analysis for remote power delivery.

The partners are looking to develop a pilot project in UK waters within two years.

Morten Pedersen, SVP Systems and Products, Aker Solutions, said: “Today there are remote, marginal pockets within aging fields that could potentially be powered with this technology at a lower lifetime cost than installing new umbilical cables.

“If our pilot project proves feasible, this solution will benefit mature regions such as UKCS and NCS (the UK and Norwegian continental shelves), enabling operators to maximize economic extraction from declining brownfields and reduce the need for new oil and gas development, a vital step in the transition to net zero."

Mocean Energy is already participating in a collaborative industry initiative, Renewables for Subsea Power, which is currently proving the concept of powering subsea equipment with wave power and intelligent subsea energy storage.

The partners will target the development of at least one concept study into a pilot project at sea, through various routes, including multi-customer joint industry projects.