FACTS

Kårstø Gas processing plant

The Kårstø gas processing plant in Nord-Rogaland is the largest of its type in Europe.

The installation plays a key role in the transportation and treatment of gas and condensate (light oil) from important areas on the Norwegian continental shelf. Twentyeight fields are linked to Kårstø via pipelines. Every day millions of cubic metres of gas and non-stabilised condensate flow into the plant, where the heavier components are removed by separation. The remainder, known as dry gas or sales gas, is exported by pipeline to the Continent.

The heavier components are known collectively as natural gas liquids (NGL) or wet gas. The Kårstø plant is ranked as the world’s third largest LPG producer.

History receive gas from yet another large field, Transport pipeline, the extension of the the Kristin Field on the Haltenbank. installations at Kårstø and the Europipe The first gas entered the plant on 25 II pipeline, fields in the Norwegian Sea July 1985 and the first dry gas was sent The latest expansions have entailed a are also connected to the European gas from Kårstø to Emden in Germany on 15 large increase in the plant’s capacity to market. October that year. The plant was built to receive and process gas. Just under 90 receive and treat gas from the northern million standard cubic metres of rich Approximately 25 percent of the natural part of the North Sea. Since 1993, the gas can flow through the plant every gas delivered from Norway to European plant has also been able to receive and 24 hours. customers each year will be exported via stabilise condensate from the Sleipner Kårstø. Field. Added value On 1 October 2000, the Kårstø plant Kårstø is an important link in the The site was ready to receive gas from Åsgard value chain from the reservoir to the Out of an area of approximately 208 and other fields in the Norwegian sea customer on the Continent. Following hectares the actual installation occupies through the Åsgard Transport pipeline. the development of the Åsgard Field 108 hectares. It originally consisted On 1 October 2005, Kårstø was ready to in the Norwegian Sea, the Åsgard of the gas treatment plant

0 50 100 Kilometers Norne Rørledninger

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r !( Zeebrugge o !( p i SLEIPNER p Dunkerque e Draupner 2 (1985). It was then expanded by the fractionated in a dedicated plant. During and is described as the largest of its type addition of the Sleipner condensate this process ethane, propane, normal in Europe. A dedicated harbour office plants in 1993, the Åsgard plants in butane and iso-butane are distilled out. handles shipping traffic and three tugs 2000, the Mikkel plant in 2003 and The remainder is called stabilised con- are permanently stationed at Kårstø so plants for the treatment of gas from the densate and is transported from Kårstø that the necessary assistance can be Kristin Field in 2005. by ship. provided.

In addition to the actual processing plant, Storage tanks and caverns storage tanks, shipment facilities and Health, safety and Propane is stored in two large rock essential auxiliary functions (such as the environment caverns with a combined capacity of air, electricity, steam and water) have 250,000m³. Ethane, normal butane, The whole processing plant is controlled been built. The administration building iso-butane, naphtha and stabilised from the main control room. The site contains offices, a laboratory, the fire condensate are stored in tanks. These areas and processes are controlled and station, workshops and stores. products are exported to customers monitored 24 hours a day with the aid of worldwide. advanced computer systems and trained The processes operators. This includes thorough Gas from the fields is transported to K-lab control of all emissions, including flares. Kårstø via the Statpipe and Åsgard The Kårstø measuring and technology Transport pipelines. This gas is called All who work at the installation, or who laboratory (K-lab) is a large-scale rich gas. First of all, the pressure and need to enter the site for any reason, are laboratory for testing and qualification temperature are adjusted. Then the also required to comply with strict safety of equipment and processes for the water in the gas is removed so that it can rules. production and transport of hydro- be cooled down to a low temperature carbons. (-60°C) without causing ice accretion This is also in accordance with the in pipes and other equipment. The gas is Norwegian authorities’ requirements for K-lab is owned by Statoil, but it carries then sent to the separator plant where this type of activity. out assignments for suppliers to the oil the wet gas (NGL) is separated out. The industry and other oil companies, as well wet gas is then sent on to the fractiona- as for internal customers. K-lab carries tion plant where it is split into propane, out tasks such as the calibration of wet Gassled is a joint venture for the owners normal butane, iso-butane and naphtha. gas and multi-phase meters (20 - 150 of the gas transport system linked to the Ethane is separated out in a special plant bar), qualification of gas separators, Norwegian continental shelf. The gas and is sold as a separate product. testing of pumps and compressors and transport system consists of pipelines,

general qualification of equipment and platforms and onshore process facilities When all these elements have been processes. and gas terminals abroad. The system is separated from the gas, the remaining used by all parties needed to transport gas is called sales gas or dry gas, which Norwegian gas. The receiving terminals consists mainly of methane. This is sent Busy harbour for Norwegian gas in Germany, Belgium, via the Statpipe and Europipe II pipelines The large production of ethane, LPG France and the UK are wholly or partially to customers on the Continent. and stabilised condensate leads to owned by Gassled. Gassled is organised approximately 700 ship calls a year at in different access zones with different Kårstø also receives condensate (light Kårstø. The shipment harbour, which tariff levels. oil) in a separate pipeline from the consists of three quays and 11 loading Sleipner area. It is stabilised and arms, is specially equipped for LPG ships

Great value creation Statpipe 28 inches Kårstø’s Capacity

Capacity: approx. 20 MSm3/day Production capacity is a good Sales gas/dry gas 10 million tonnes of NGL and condensate per annum Europipe II 42 inches 112 tonnes/hour ethane 385 tonnes/hour propane Capacity: 72 MSm3/day 76 tonnes/hour i-butane Sales gas/dry gas 145 tonnes/hour n-butane 106 tonnes/hour naphtha 351 tonnes/hour condensate

Facts

Kårstø Site: LPG: Liquefied petroleum gas. Consists mainly of propane and butane. At Caverns: propane: 250 000 m3 3 3 Kårstø LPG is made by fractionating and cool- Tanks: normal butane: 1 x 35,000 m and 2 x 20,000 m ing. iso-butane: 1 x 35,000 m3 and 2 x 8,000 m3 3 Natural gas: Petroleum that mainly contains light hydro- Naptha: 2 x 17,000 m carbons. It can be divided into dry gas and Ethane: 1 x 25,000 m3 3 wet gas. Dry gas consists mainly of methane, Stabilised condensate: 2 x 60,000 m but often contains some ethane and smaller Site: quantities of heavier hydrocarbons. Also Area: 520 acres called sales gas. Installation: 270 acres Wet gas consists mainly of ethane, propane and butane, and smaller quantities of heavier hydrocarbons. Milestones: Condensate: Consists of the heavier components in natu- 10.06.1981: The Norwegian Storting resolved to build ral gas, i.e. pentane, hexane, heptane etc. the Statpipe transport system and the Kårstø Condensate (natural petrol) is in liquid form gas treatment plant. at atmospheric pressure and temperature. 25.07.1985: Kårstø plant put into operation. First gas to Naptha: A volatile condensate that contains less of the plant. the heaviest components. 01.05.1988: K-Lab ready for operation NGL: Natural gas liquids - wet gas consists of the 01.10.1993: Sleipner condensate plant put into operation. heavier gases ethane, propane, butane and 01.09.2000: Ethane plant put into operation. smaller quantities of pentane, hexane and 01.10.2000: Åsgard Transport ready for operation heptane. 3 01.10.2000: Åsgard plant put into operation. Nm : Normal cubic metre at reference conditions 01.10.2003: Mikkel plant (NET 1) in operation 0°C and 1,01325 bar. 01.10.2005: Kristin plant (KEP 2005) in operation o.e.: Oil units or oil equivalents. Oil and gas are often referred to in the form of oil equiva- lents. Rule of thumb: 1 tonne o.e. = 1 tonne Words and Expressions: of oil = 1,100 Sm3 of sales gas. Sm3: Standard cubic metre at reference conditions 3 GSm : Giga standard cubic metre = 15 °C and 1,01325 bar. 1 billion m3 of gas at 1.01325 bar and 15°C Petroleum: Collective term for hydrocarbons, whether in CNG: Compressed natural gas the solid, liquid or gaseous state. LNG: Liquefied natural gas - i.e. mainly methane liquefied by cooling to minus 163 °C at atmospheric pressure. 1 tonne LNG corresponds to approx. 1,400 standard m3 of gas.

The Kårstø plant is owned by Gassled, Gassco is operator and Statoil is technical service provider

Gassco, Bygnesvegen 75 4250 Kopervik, P.O. Box 93, 5501 Haugesund Telephone 52 81 25 00. www.gassco.no

Statoil ASA, Nord-Rogaland, Kårstø, P.O. Box 308, NO-5501 Haugesund. Telephone 00 47 52 77 22 00. Fax: 00 47 52 77 22 10. www.statoil.com

COS_091767. Illustration: Statoil. November 2011. Photos: Øyvind Hagen, Statoil.