Nyhamna Gas Plant, Norway

The Nyhamna onshore processing facility is located on the Nyhamna peninsula on the west coast of Norway.

The gas processing facility became operational in 2007. Initially, the project processed gas from the Shell-operated Ormen Lange field and exported to the UK gas markets via the Langeled pipeline.

The project underwent an upgrade to process gas from other fields from 2014 to 2017. This enabled Nyhamna to start processing gas from the Aasta Hansteen field.

Additional fields are expected to be connected to the processing facility in future via the Polarled pipeline that connects Aasta Hansteen with Nyhamna.

Norwegian state-owned natural gas company Gassco is the operator and Shell is the technical service provider (TSP) for the Nyhamna gas processing plant.

The facility is owned by Nyhamna joint venture. As of September 2018, the JV includes Equinor, Petoro, Shell, Ineo, Wintershall, OMV, TotalEnergies, ConocoPhillips, CapeOmega and North Sea Infrastructure.

Initial Stage Nyhamna Plant Operations

The Ormen Lange field is located in the Norwegian Sea and is estimated to contain recoverable reserves of approximately 400 billion cubic metres of gas and 22 million cubic metres of condensate.

The field produces about 70 million cubic metres (MCM) of gas a day that is sent to the Nyhamna processing plant, located at the south end of Polarled pipeline in Aukra, Norway.

The gas is processed and purified at Nyhamna and transported to Easington in south England via a 1,200km Langeled pipeline, one of the longest subsea pipelines in the world.

Phase 3 of the Ormen Lange field was developed as a subsea-to-shore processing system fed by hydroelectric power from the Norwegian grid.

Nyhamna Processing Plant Expansion

The expansion of the facility enabled the plant to process gas from the Aasta Hansteen field (formerly Luva), located at a depth of 1,300m in the Vøring area in the Norwegian Sea.

The Aasta Hansteen field included the three discoveries of Luva, Haklang, and Snefrid Sør.

The overall estimated reserves for Aasta Hansteen and Snefrid Nord are 55.6 billion standard cubic metres (Sm3) of gas and 0.6 million Sm3 of condensate.

The Nyhamna expansion work began in 2014.  The plant was initially developed with a processing capacity of 70 million standard cubic meters of gas per day (mscm/d). After the expansion, the capacity jumped to 84mscm/d.

The project expansion included the development of facilities for the Polarled gas pipeline, third-party gas reception facilities, and a new processing unit.

Other key infrastructure additions include installation of compressors, a hydrogen sulphide removal unit, storage tanks, installation of safety systems, and the construction of other related infrastructural facilities.

The new compressors are based on stable foundations. Two of the new compressors boosts pressure in the gas field, while another increases the output of the Langeled Pipeline.

Production from the Aasta Hansteen field started in December 2018. The Polarled pipeline with 36 inches diameter connects the Aasta Hansteen field to Nyhamna.

The condensate produced from the field is offloaded to tankers and shipped for export.

Key Contractors Involved

Cathwell was contracted for the delivery of engineering, cathodic protection, and technical service to Ormen Lange landfall, pipelines transporting natural gas to the processing plant at Nyhamna. The company also delivered cathodic protection to both Langeled and Polarled pipeline landfall.

In 2007, ABB was awarded a seven-year contract to provide service, support, and modifications for the process control, safety, information management, and telecommunications systems at Draugen and Ormen Lange by Shell.

ABB signed a $260m service agreement in 2013 to provide integrated service and support solutions for the Draugen offshore oil platform and the nearby Ormen Lange onshore gas processing plant for nine years.

ABB was also contracted to improve reliability and minimise grid losses at the Nyhamna gas processing facility. It supplied its 800xA safety and automation system to ensure efficient processes and electrification solutions that distribute power safely throughout the production areas.

In 2011, engineering consultancy Multiconsult was awarded a contract by Shell for the feasibility study of civil works and underground systems for Ormen Lange/Nyhamna onshore facilities, Project Phase 2.

In April 2012, Kvaerner secured Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Management (EPCM) contract for modifications and projects at the Ormen Lange/Nyhamna onshore facilities.

GE Oil & Gas was tapped to supply the turbomachinery systems including Compressor BCL503/A, and Compressor BCL405/B, while Flenco Fluid Systems supplied related auxiliary systems.

StS Resources & Technology supplied 40 experienced riggers for the project. The company also assisted in the construction of modules for the Nyhamna expansion.

In October 2019, Norske Shell awarded a contract to Kongsberg Digital for the development of the Nyhamna Dynamic Digital Twin, using Kongsberg Digital’s Kognitwin Energy Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution .

The Polarled pipeline was laid by the world’s largest pipelaying vessel named Solitaire provided by Allseas.

OneSubsea secured an EPCI contract to supply a subsea multiphase compression system by Norske Shell. In October 2019, OneSubsea contracted Subsea 7 for a front-end engineering design (FEED) study for the subsea umbilicals and flowlines system of the Ormen Lange Field.

Nexans was engaged by OneSubsea for the design, manufacture and supply of two 120-km power umbilicals for a subsea multiphase compression system in November 2019. OneSubsea and Subsea 7 supplied two 16MW subsea compression stations tied into existing manifolds and pipelines powered from the Nyhamna onshore gas processing plant.

Additionally, Nexans was responsible for delivering the power umbilicals for the integration of all the 52-kV electrical power, hydraulic and fibre optic elements required to power and control the compressor station.

In 2020, Aker Solutions signed a letter of intent (LoI) with Shell for the Ormen Lange Phase 3 onshore project. The scope of work includes integrating the wet gas subsea compression system with the Nyhamna onshore gas plant in Norway.