Applications of Lithium-Ion Batteries in Offshore Oil & Gas: The Journey to Building a Low-Emissions Drilling Rig

This paper discusses applications for lithium-ion batteries in an offshore oil and gas environment and describes how battery packs/energy storage can be applied in hybrid, diesel-electric power plants to create low-emissions drilling rigs. The incorporation of energy storage, particularly in direct current (DC) based power plants, can provide a wide range of benefits for operators, allowing them to reduce the runtime of onboard diesel engines and optimize combustion efficiency, thereby maximizing fuel utilization and reducing emissions. Batteries can also be used to create new redundancy schemes, as well as for peak shaving and blackout prevention. The West Mira semisubmersible installation in the North Sea was the world's first modern drilling rig to operate a low-emission hybrid (diesel-electric) power plant with lithium-ion batteries connected to the main power grid. The paper describes the energy storage solution that was implemented on the facility and discusses how considerations for safety and reliability were addressed.