Shell’s Ormen Lange field has just rewritten the rulebook for subsea gas production, and the implications ripple far beyond Norway’s waters. The field’s Phase III expansion, now online, features two SLB OneSubsea subsea compressor stations installed at a record-breaking 900 meters depth. This isn’t just a technical milestone—it’s a blueprint for unlocking stranded reserves and extending the life of aging fields.
The real game-changer? These aren’t your average compressors. SLB OneSubsea’s subsea multiphase compressors handle wet gas—straight from the well, complete with water, condensates, and even sand. This is a first for the industry, eliminating the need for topside processing and slashing infrastructure costs. “This is the world’s first and only true subsea wet-gas compressor,” says SLB, and the numbers back it up: each unit can handle up to 50-bar differential pressure, with liquid fractions ranging from 0% to 100%.
The Ormen Lange system uses two compression stations, each with two compression modules. The 32-MW system is powered by onshore variable speed drives (VSDs) located 120 km away, a first for subsea compression. This long-distance power transmission eliminates the need for subsea VSDs or topside alternatives, improving project economics.
The technology will unlock an additional 30 to 50 billion cubic meters of gas reserves from Ormen Lange, raising recovery to as much as 85%. For Europe, this means a critical boost in supply at a time when energy security is top of mind. The gas is exported through Langeled and the Norwegian gas export system, underscoring the project’s strategic importance.
For Shell and its partners—Vår Energi, Petoro, Equinor Energy, and Orlen Upstream Norway—this is a vote of confidence in subsea processing. The technology isn’t just extending the life of Ormen Lange; it’s proving that deepwater fields can remain viable long after conventional recovery methods taper off.
The deeper significance? This could be the catalyst for a wave of deepwater field revivals. Operators facing declining production or stranded reserves now have a proven model for extending field life without massive new investments in topside infrastructure. The economics of subsea compression just got a lot more compelling.
But the real test will be replication. Can other operators adapt this model to their fields? The answer will shape the future of deepwater production—and Europe’s energy security.