Subsea decarbonization

Underwater view of rocky terrain with light filtering through water, followed by abstract horizontal lines transitioning out of the image.

Decarbonizing oil and gas operations. Powering new energy

The future of energy is one that’s lower in carbon emissions. Our technology helps drive down carbon-intensity in hydrocarbon developments and adds needed pace to the energy transition.

Contact an expert

Sunset over the ocean with wavy waters and pink and blue clouds in the sky.

OPPORTUNITY

Decarbonize hydrocarbons for the long term

As countries work towards the global target of net zero emissions by 2050, the reality is that oil and gas will still be part of the energy mix for decades to come. That’s why its production must be made as carbon- and energy-efficient as possible.

The most obvious route to reducing topside emissions is to eliminate flaring, which is a significant source of greenhouse gases including CO₂ and methane.

However, there are many more opportunities to further reduce emissions, notably by reducing power consumption. For example, in topside collection, rigs need to be cooled fast, which often relies on energy-intensive pumping and spraying of sea water. Reduced water management is an even more significant drain on energy – for example, on the Norwegian continental shelf, around 80% of power consumption is used to transport water from the well to onshore for processing, and then back out to sea.

SOLUTION

OneSubsea versatility can help you achieve it

At OneSubsea we have invested for years in the competencies and test facilities needed to drive decarbonization in offshore energy systems. That is how we know that our technologies are flexible and robust enough to serve decarbonization goals in both hydrocarbon and future energy developments.

With our subsea technology, flaring can be eliminated. By separating production fluids on the seabed floor, we can immediately inject unwanted emissions into a suitable reservoir without ever bringing it to surface. Subsea boosting and compression can be used to cost-effectively drain existing reservoirs. And cooling demands can be met by using subsea coolers below platforms that utilize low-temperature sea water.

To enable carbon negative operations, existing subsea infrastructure can be used for carbon capture and storage (CCS). We can separate methane from CO₂, use pipelines for temporary storage or deliver liquid CO₂ direct from vessels to buoys, and reinject CO₂ into reservoirs via offshore wells.

Looking to the future, digitalization will cut energy use dramatically, through the use of innovations such as unmanned operations, remote inspections, and virtual prototyping, sizing and verification.

We are also developing new technologies to support new energy generation. For example, extreme pressure differences between empty reservoirs and subsea can be harnessed by turbines to generate subsea hydro power as sea water is sucked in. Choking valves can be replaced by turbines to generate power too. We can also support wind power with single-cable connections to transformer stations on the seabed, and supply wind and wave energy infrastructure that connects to generators, especially advantageous to power remote installations that currently run on gas.

The opportunities are endless.