The Norwegian Environmental Agency continuously strives to reduce the discharges of oil and substances into the sea, which are harmful to the environment. To identify the most effective measures for reducing harmful discharges to sea, the agency has conducted a survey among all operators on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.
The operators have confirmed that the most straightforward and cost-efficient manner to reduce the discharges of dispersed oil and/or chemicals is to install low shear valves. Installing a low shear valve in place of a conventional choke or level control valve upstream of separators leads to enlarged droplet sizes, increasing the separation efficiency. The oil content in the produced water is thereby reduced, ultimately reducing the environmental impact factor (EIF).