The pioneering Win-Win (Wind power water-injection) project – which aims to advance floating wind turbine technology by field-proving units as power-plants for so-called enhanced oil and gas recovery programme at mature offshore fields – is moving into a final testing phase, with expectations a first prototype system could be ready for installation in 2020.

The project, being led by DNV GL with oil company partners ExxonMobil and Eni Norge and the Norwegian Research Council, will now focus on refining and testing the electrical systems and “investigating possibilities for broader applications”.

“In this next phase of the project, we’ll use a small scale physical set-up to conduct tests on the systems,” says project manager Johan Slätte. “We aim to instil confidence in the industry that the system and components in this configuration will perform well over time with a variable power input.”

“This phase is a natural step before going into piloting with real prototypes.”

Phase one of the project was a “desktop study” looking into the technical feasibility of the concept and whether it was “capable of meeting performance targets, and cost-competitive with conventional water injection solutions”, says Slätte.

The project’s second phase is expected to run “one to two years”. If tests, which are being carried out at DNV GL power laboratories in Arnhem, the Netherlands, prove successful, he adds, “a realistic timeline for a first full scale prototype could be around 2020”.

“The Win-Win project has shown great potential for the oil and gas industry to lower costs and increase efficiency, while also reducing its environmental footprint," says project sponsor Johan Sandberg. "Proving that large-scale renewable units can be integrated well into oil and gas systems will also expand the industry's toolbox of technology solutions.

“It is a win for society with regards to emissions, and for the oil companies who can lower their costs on both equipment and operations.”

The Win-Win concept is built around a floating wind turbine, which powers water injection pumps that pressure remaining oil and gas from older fields, prolonging production.

Eni Norge senior R&D engineer Redha Safer notes: “Such a self-contained system could provide an unrivalled flexibility while still being cost effective compared to conventional solutions. Moreover, its inherent low carbon emissions would clearly meet our company’s targets for a reduced CO2 footprint.”

Tom Schuessler, president of ExxonMobil Upstream Research, adds: “Recent advancements in wind technology, particularly in offshore oil and gas applications, are improving the economic feasibility and allowing for wind to contribute to the overall energy mix at a time when demand continues to rise.”