Stauper Offshore earns produced water technology qualification from Equinor

SANDEFJORD, NORWAY - Stauper Offshore has been awarded technology qualification from Equinor for its latest generation Compact Flotation Unit (CFU) for removal of oil and gas from produced water.

Stauper´s patented CFU technology is used as the final step before produced water can be discharged to sea, where the oil-in-water levels post cleaning should be microscopic for environmental reasons. Equinor performed rigorous testing of the Stauper technology at the Grane Field in the North Sea, and the results showed that up to 99.5% of oil was removed from the produced water. Stauper has subsequently been granted technology qualification by Equinor allowing for first use at Equinor installations.

The CFU “polishes” the produced water by introducing gas bubbles from the bottom of a vessel, where the bubbles then attach to the oil particles left in the water. The oil is then transported upwards and siphoned off at the surface.

Over the last 18 months Stauper has received several orders from CNOOC in China for its CFU technology. The deliveries, which are now placed on various platforms and FPSOs in the South China Sea, have been supplied to CNOOC in collaboration with the Chinese engineering and construction company BOMESC Offshore Engineering Company Limited. To date, five CFU installations have been accepted by CNOOC. The most recent delivery was successfully brought online at Caofeidian Oil Field Development Project in the Bohai Sea.

Rune G. Nilssen, managing director of Stauper Offshore, said “Our technology for removal of oil from water during production will help oil companies handle the challenges of increasing water cut and scrutiny on the environmental impact of oil production. The qualification from Equinor is a major milestone for the company and a testament to the robustness and effectiveness of the technology.

Equinor is arguably one of the most demanding and environmentally conscious oil companies in the World. The outstanding data and subsequent acceptance of the delivery by CNOOC further underlines the efficiency of the technology.”