Magnetic bearings from the SKF subsidiary S2M have been selected to equip the compressors and high-speed motors of the Åsgard Subsea Gas Compression System, by Statoil and Aker Solutions, the winner of the Innovation Awards at the 2012 Offshore North Sea (ONS) exhibition in Norway.

The compression system for the Åsgard project in the Norwegian Sea comprises a large seabed structure with coolers, scrubbers, pumps and two compressors and is designed to improve recovery rates in gas fields with declining natural gas pressures. In the remote operating conditions on the seabed, the SKF S2M magnetic bearings’ frictionless, oil-free, low-maintenance operation is critical; the compressors are accessible only by remote underwater vehicles.