Equinor Awards Feed for Hammerfest LNG Upgrades

Norway's Equinor has awarded a front-end engineering design (Feed) contract to Stavanger-based Aibel for modifications at the Hammerfest LNG export plant in the country's far north, it said on September 2.

The contract worth kroner 140mn ($16mn) covers studies for the construction of an onshore compressor station and Hammerfest LNG's potential electrification, as part of the Snohvit Future project.

The compressor will help maintain production levels as well pressure at the Snohvit field falls. The overall recovery of gas should be greater as well. Equinor and its project partners Petoro, Total, Neptune Energy and Wintershall Dea plan to take a concept select decision on the unit in autumn 2020.

Electrification will help minimise carbon emissions, by replacing gas-fired power turbines. A concept decision is expected by the end of the year. Final investment decisions on both projects are anticipated in the second half of 2021. The Feed contract has an option for engineering, procurement, construction and installation work.