A consortium of suppliers that includes SKF’s Swedish company has reached an agreement with the Norwegian company Statoil to develop technology to improve the efficiency of existing and new oil and gas fields. The agreement is based on a frame agreement valued at more than 13 million euros spread over three and a half years. More than 20 people will work on the project, drawn from all the companies involved.

The consortium comprises ABB, IBM, Aker Kværner and SKF. The technology development is aimed at improving the operating efficiency of existing oil and gas fields as well as deployment at new fields.

The technology, such as advanced process control and instrumentation and remote management, is expected to increase the lifetime and extraction potential for oil and gas fields. The technology will also contribute to enhanced safety, while at the same time minimizing the risk of environmental harm.

In addition to the contributions of the individual project partners, this initiative will also include cooperation with the Research Council of Norway, small- and medium-sized niche technology players, research institutes and the university and higher education sector.