By matching the development of floating wind turbine technology with the oil industry’s need for water injection for maximizing oil recovery, DNV GL proposed a concept called WIN WIN, which stands for WINd- powered Water INjection. WIN WIN comprises a floating wind turbine which supplies power to a water injection process, and is a fully stand- alone system that includes pumps and basic water treatment.
To evaluate the concept , for the past year, participants from both the renewable and oil and gas industries have worked together in the DNV GL-led WIN WIN JIP to develop the concept of using floating wind turbines to power a water injection system in detail, and assess its technical and commercial feasibility. Technical and operational aspects as well as costs have been assessed. The JIP partners include ExxonMobil, ENI Norge, Nexen Petroleum UK Ltd., Statoil, VNG Norge, PG Flow Solutions and ORE Catapult.
Green light for wind-powered oil recovery
The WIN WIN project shows how recent developments in floating offshore wind turbines offer a clean, reliable, and cost effective alternative for powering water injection in offshore locations. It opens the door to a new and fruitful collaboration between two major energy industries; using wind turbines to power water injection in a fully stand-alone system. The project has demonstrated that for suitable fields, wind-powered water injection is technically feasible, meets the oil industry’s performance targets, and offers a cost-competitive solution.
Accelerated energy transition through joined forces
WIN WIN is technically feasible and a wind-powered water injection system meets the industry’s technical, functional and commercial requirements, offering a realistic alternative with unique benefits. A summary of the findings can be found in the project report.
