Monster Gas Field Revival Sets Norway Up for Output Record
- Production likely to beat 2012 high, pipeline operator says
- Statoil sees giant Troll field output rising 14% this year
Troll A offshore natural gas platform in the Troll gas field off the west coast of Norway.
Photographer: Krister Soerboe/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The Troll A platform rocks like a boat as North Sea waves pound its four gigantic concrete legs, but monitors inside the control room show a steady flow of natural gas continues unabated -- enough to meet the needs of 10 million homes in Europe.
Norway is on track for record gas production this year after Statoil ASA put an end to technical issues that limited Troll’s capacity. And deep within the windswept jumble of pipes and machinery that top the platform 65 kilometers (40 miles) off the Nordic nation’s coast, two newly installed compressors stand ready to maintain the field’s unequaled capacity well into the next decade.