Production was halted temporarily by Statoil at Hammerfest LNG on Tuesday 10 July as a result of water ingression in the natural gas dryers.
Water ingression causes ice formation in the cooling circuit. Big efforts are being made to get the gas liquefaction plant back on line quickly.
Closer inspection will make it possible to say how long the stoppage will last.
Statoil’s share of Snøhvit output is about 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
Snøhvit is the first petroleum development in the Barents Sea.
With no installations above the sea’s surface, large amounts of natural gas are sent ashore and cooled down at Hammerfest LNG on Melkøya. This is the world’s most northern and Europe’s first export facility for liquefied natural gas (LNG).
[mappress] LNG World News Staff, July 12, 2012; Image: Statoil