Offshore Technology -- October 2011

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Technology

AngolaPaxflor comes

on stream

October2011

Published by

GazpromErosion prevention

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4 NewsKey technical and contractnews from the major oil andgas E&P provinces

12 DrillingBP has revamped its drillingprocesses for the Gulf of Mexico

14 Multiphase Multiphase volume of fluidssimulations are useful inanalysing liquid sloshingbehaviour

16 Acoustics Understanding the physics ofsound is now a must on everyvessel with ROV and DP, andit is when you have a group ofthese vessels together that theproblems arise, says Nautronix

19 Desalination The offshore provision ofpure, fresh water is no longerthe result of hot, noisytemperamental machinery butcompact, reliable, lowmaintenance units

20 StatoilDevelopment plans for theMariner heavy oil field

21 Safety A look at drilling and safetyoffshore

24 Pipe-Pulse Subsea blockages are acommon industry challengethat can be very difficult andexpensive to remediate

25 Total The French oil major hasbegun oil production from itsgiant Pazflor fielddevelopment offshore Angolain West Africa.

26 Gazprom Prirazlomnoya readied forerosion contract

30 Events & BookReview Conferences, seminars andevents from the hectic oil andgas calendar

32 New Products Carefully selected productsrecently launched with theaim of enhancing oil and gasproduction

34 Earthquakes A Canadian company and thesearch for earthquakepredictions

36 Spotlight Clive Wilby, PrincipalConsultant, AVEVA, looks atthe latest research into the‘information gap’ in plantoperations.

October2011Technology

EDITORIAL PANELThe vitality of any magazinedepends on there being a two-way conversation between thepeople who produce it and theaudience it hopes to please. Inorder to strengthen thatrelationship OffshoreTechnology has invited aninformal editorial advisorypanel of industry experts.Recently recruited to the role,their guidance and industryknowledge is warmlywelcomed.

While the panel's input will beinvaluable, we still welcomecomments, suggestions andstory proposals from all ourreaders and encourage you towrite to the editor [email protected]

Alistair BirnieChief Executive, Subsea UKAberdeen, UKwww.subseauk.org

Dr Paul JukesPresident of MCS Kenny Houston, Texaswww.mcskenny.com

Edward JonesHead of Strategic Services,Operations AMEC,Aberdeen, Scotlandwww.amec.com

Leen PoldervaartVice President, MarketingSBM, Monacowww.sbmoffshore.com

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Offshore Technology October 2011 3

Editor’s LetterWelcome to Brazil

Editor:Bruce [email protected]

Publisher:Derek Wood [email protected]

Advertising:Peter [email protected]

Graphic Designer: Jo Cooper

Publication Sales & Subscriptions:Lorraine Jordan

© Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (2011). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproducedin any material form (includingphotocopying, storing in anymedium by electronic means ortransmitting) without the written permission of the copyright owner except in accordance with the provisionsof the Copyright, Designs andPatents Act 1988 or underterms of a licence issued by theCopyright Licensing Agency Ltd,6-10 Kirby Street, London, England, EC1N 8TS, website:www.cla.co.uk email:[email protected]. Applicationsfor the copyright owner's writ-ten permission to reproduce anypart of this publication shouldbe addressed to the publisher.

An official journal of, and published by

Aldgate House, 33 Aldgate HighStreet, London. EC3N 1ENTel: +44 (0)20 7382 2600Fax:+44 (0)20 7382 2669E-mail: [email protected]: www.imarest.org

Cover Photo: BP staff andcontractors discussFPSO operationsoffshore Angola, whichalong with Brazil,presents hugetechnological challenges(Photo courtesy, BP)

TThe Houston-basedOffshore TechnologyConference is, for thefirst time, holding an

event in Brazil, signalling justhow important this huge mar-ket has become to internationalsuppliers and contractors. AsBrazil increasingly welcomesforeign companies, growingnumbers of companies are test-ing the water with supplies andcontractors hiring local repsand enjoying the interactionwith state oil-company engi-neers from Petrobras.

Companies such as Swe-den’s Trelleborg are taking ex-hibition stand space to launchnew products, because as thecompany says: “with the oil andgas industry a key focus forTrelleborg, [we are] continuallydeveloping new and innovativesolutions designed to seal, dampand protect in demanding off-shore environments.

“Brazil is a key region forour industry and as such, wehave resumed manufacturingflexible hoses at our Sao Paulofactory, which we acquired inApril 2011, says Elisabete Aski-nis Wilhelm, Technology andQuality Manager at TrelleborgIndustrial Hoses. "This businesswill focus on specially designed

oil hoses for surface and deep-sea applications for the stronglygrowing offshore oil and gas ex-traction industry in Brazil, andrepresents an important step inour quest to strengthen our pres-ence in this significant area."

This is typical of the opti-mism and opportunity that hasfor long eluded the majority ofcompanies hoping to work inthe country.

This issue of Offshore Tech-nology will be widely distributedat the show, offering a wealth ofinformation about how offshoretechnology challenges are beingsolved offshore Brazil and other,equally challengin offshore re-gions. Desalination, erosion,managing acoustics and ensur-ing safety throughout the opera-tion are all subjects tackled inthis issue. We hope you enjoy theread and overcoming your owntechnological challenges.

GL surveyA new survey commissioned byinternational classification soci-ety GL Noble Denton suggestsoil and gas industry profession-als are concerned over the lackof industry spending on re-search and development. This isa perennial problem and onethat bears continued inspection.

Nearly three quarters(74%) of participants in theGL survey agreed that a lack ofinvestment into R&D activityby oil and gas companieswould have a negative impacton the sector, while 26%thought that there would befew or no consequences if com-panies fail to act.

Many factors have con-tributed to the decline in R&Dexpenditure including the on-going consolidation of the in-dustry and increase insub-contracting, oil pricevolatility and a general down-sizing of R&D departmentsand outsourcing of expertise.

Ongoing investment is vitalfor any industry, particularlythe offshore oil and gas sector.New areas such as exploring inthe Arctic, pre-salt in Brazil,even onshore shale gas de-posits, will be seen to driving arenewed interest in R&D ex-penditure. This is an excitingarea for the industry andshould be used as a carrot to at-tract graduates and experi-enced researchers from other,related disciplines to get in-volved.

Bruce McMichaelEditor, Offshore Technology

[email protected]

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4 October 2011 Offshore Technology

News

The US-Bureau of OceanEnergy Management, Reg-

ulation and Enforcement(BOEMRE) has completed thefirst unannounced spill drill totest the new requirements ofsub-sea containment capabili-ties for deepwater wells. Led byBOEMRE, the table-top drill,which took place in September,was a joint exercise with theU.S. Coast Guard, the State ofLouisiana, and PetrobrasAmerica. The preliminary re-sults of the drill were positive;a final evaluation will followwhen analysis of all documen-tation is completed.

“We are using many di-verse methods, techniquesand tools to ensure that oiland gas operations on theOuter Continental Shelf arebeing conducted in the safestand most environmentally-re-sponsible manner,” saidBOEMRE director Michael R.Bromwich. “Testing an opera-tor’s ability to activate its sub-sea containment resources isone very important tool. TheSpill Drill Program can helpus validate that operators areappropriate trained in effec-

tive containment deployment.It is a natural extension of ourenhanced safety and environ-mental regulations and stan-dards put in place followingthe Deepwater Horizontragedy.”

The Unannounced SpillDrill Program, initiated by thethen-Minerals ManagementService in 1989, tests an opera-tor’s ability to notify the ap-propriate entities andpersonnel, including federalregulatory agencies, affectedstate and local agencies, inter-nal response coordinators andresponse contractors. It alsotests an operator’s ability tomake correct and timely deci-sions, respond properly, andtake appropriate action.

The drill tested PetrobrasAmerica, Inc., with a scenariothat was premised on a hypo-thetical blowout experiencedby one of its deepwater subseawells. The table-top exercisespecifically tested Petrobras’ability to assess a subsea wellcontrol situation and mobilizethe proper subsea contain-ment/intervention equipmentin a timely manner.

The selection of an opera-tor to participate in an unan-nounced drill is based on suchfactors as the number of oilproducing facilities, the volumeof oil production, and proxim-ity to sensitive areas. With aneye to the operator’s currentactivities, a location is chosenand a spill scenario is devel-oped. Fictitious weather condi-tions provided to the operatorduring the drill are used to pro-duce a hypothetical trajectoryof the spill.

In the wake of the Deep-water Horizon tragedy,BOEMRE has launched themost aggressive and compre-hensive reforms to offshore oiland gas regulation and over-sight in U.S. history. The re-forms strengthen requirementsfor everything from well de-sign and workplace safety tocorporate accountability.These new safety measures in-clude heightened drillingsafety standards to reduce thechances that a loss of well con-trol might occur in the firstplace, as well as a new focus oncontainment capabilities in theevent of an oil spill.

South Shields,UK basedSolar Solve Marine have

received a further order fromNico Middle East, one ofDubai's leading offshore ves-sel owners and operators anda subsidiary of Topaz Energyand Marine Ltd., one of theregion’s leading oil field serv-ices companies.

The urgent order was for9 SOLASAFE screens to bedispatched to Dubai, UAE,for installation at the wheel-

house windows of the1,400dwt. Anchor HandlingTug / Offshore Supply VesselTopaz Khubayb.

The recently deliveredvessel is powered by twindiesel engines of 5,150HPand has a maximum speed of12.4 knots. Due to her busyschedule the screens weremade and dispatched thesame day. It is typical for thiscustomer to take delivery of anew vessel without roller

sunscreens having been in-stalled by the shipyard so thatthey can be sure they get themarine world’s leading SO-LASOLV brand.

Up to now Solar SolveMarine has directly suppliedSOLASAFE screens to elevenvessels in the Topaz Marinefleet, mainly Offshore SupplyVessels but including TeamOman, an 86m long cableship of 4,800 dwt, poweredby 7,722HP diesel electric en-

gines, allowing a maximumspeed of 10.9 knots.

For this vessel 20 SO-LASAFE screens from theSOLASOLV range were sup-plied using gold shade film.When in use they reject 93%of the glare, 87% of the heatand 99% of the uv light fromthe sun, all of which has asignificant impact on improv-ing the environment in whichthe vessel’s personnel carryout their duties.

BOEMRE holds post-Macondo spill drill

Dubai order for South Shields

Topaz Khubayb, a cableship of 1,400 dwt

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Continued growth in oil andgas-related traffic at Ab-

erdeen Harbour has furtherunderlined the port’s criticalimportance to the energy sec-tor in north-west Europe.

More than 3,574 supportvessels have visited the port sofar this year, compared with3,394 for the same period in2010. In addition, the overalltonnage of traffic servicing theenergy sector is up by almosttwo percent on the previousyear, rising from 10.46 milliontonnes to 10.65 million tonnes.

These increases reflect thetrend for larger vessels, such asmulti-purpose supply, divingsupport and underwater exam-ination, using the harbour andaccommodating the rising vol-umes of consumables neededfor deepwater developments.New drilling activity also ac-counts for greater traffic move-ments, from anchor handlersto more specialist crafts.

Recent work at the port hasenabled it to support growingtraffic and vessels of increasingsize. A succession of projectshas seen a third of its 6.8 kilo-metres of quays completely

transformed. Point Law penin-sula alone has seen investmentof more than £20million in re-cent years. The improved facil-ities have allowed greaterefficiency of operations andhave introduced sharing op-portunities for the port’s cus-tomers. Redundant buildingshave also been demolished andimprovements have been madeto road surfacing, providingmore operational space.

The first phase of Ab-erdeen Harbour’s £30million

Torry Quay development re-mains on track for completionby the end of 2011. The initialstage of the largest civil engi-neering project to be under-taken at the port in recentyears includes the demolitionof the existing upstream quays,which are to be replaced with300 metres of realigned, deep-water berthing. The develop-ment will provide strongerquays for heavy lifts and createmore room in the River Dee forvessels to navigate. The overall

programme will result in morethan 500 metres of new deep-water berths and in excess ofseven hectares of back up landon the south side of the RiverDee.

A £4million refurbishmentproject at Commercial QuayEast has provided greater flexi-bility to support larger projects,with work including the recon-struction of the existing 170-metre-long quay wall and thedredging of the berthing area toa depth of 7.5 metres.

Applus+, a leader in theglobal testing, inspec-

tion and certification (TIC)market, has appointed wellknown energy sector directorIain Light as the new globalleader of Applus RTD.

Light has led business op-erations for major interna-tional organisations includingDNV and Lloyds Register in acareer spanning 35 years, andsucceeds Rob Van Doorn ashead of Applus RTD, part ofthe Barcelona-headquarteredApplus+ group.

He arrives following fouryears as energy director forLloyds Register, based in Lon-don, where he oversaw sig-

nificant business growth in-cluding tripling turnover tomore than £260m. Prior tothis he worked for DNV.

Light, 56, will be basedin Applus RTD’s headquar-ters in Rotterdam, Nether-lands. From this base hewill lead the development ofthe business across theglobe, with company opera-tions currently expanding inNorth West and Central Eu-rope, the Americas andAsia-Pacific. He is sup-ported by a worldwide net-work of regional businessunit leaders.

Light says: "It's an excitingtime for the business – across

the energy and utilities sectors,there is a focus on improvingstandards and ensuring com-pliance across production-in-tensive and high-risk assetssuch as upstream and down-stream infrastructure, FPSOsand onshore plants.

“There is a renewedglobal focus and rising de-mand for asset integrity as-

surance following incidentssuch as the Fukushima andDeepwater Horizon disasters.

"My goal is to streamlineApplus+ RTD's global re-gions, with our local businessunits operating as one team,supporting and complement-ing one another as we em-bark on a major three-yeargrowth strategy."

Iain Light joins Applus RTD


Aberdeen harbour remains critical hub

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GE contractwins

GE Oil & Gas hasbeen awarded amajor contractfrom OGX Petróleo

e Gás Ltda. to supply drillingand production equipment forthree offshore fixed productionplatforms to be deployed in theWaimea and Waikiki oil andgas fields of the Campos Basin,offshore Brazil, where OGXplans to drill a significant num-ber of production wells overthe next four years.

With a total potential esti-mated value of US$230 millionover the next four years, ofwhich US$32 million on for-mal orders has been alreadysigned and booked as of today,this is the largest contract eversigned between GE Oil & Gasand OGX and the first one in-volving the supply of equip-ment specifically fordevelopment projects alreadyin the production phase.

As a key part of the agree-ment, GE will provide a subseatemplate/tieback design thatwill allow OGX to have fullflexibility between wells pre-drilled with semi-submersiblerigs and wells drilled directlyfrom the fixed platforms. Thiscapability will help OGX toboost initial production of theWaimea and Waikiki fields bymaximizing the use of the pre-drilled wells. GE’s template de-sign has been field-proven insimilar projects in West Africa.

“Our goal was to find a vi-

able technology solution thatgave us maximum flexibility inthe development of theWaimea and Waikiki fields,and GE was able to meet thatchallenge,” said Reinaldo Be-lotti, production developmentdirector of OGX. “We are con-fident that GE’s continuingsupport and timely deliverieswill be an important factor inthe long-term success of thisproject,” reinforced Belotti.

Local contentThe Waimea and Waikiki fieldsare located 60 kilometers offthe coast of Rio de Janeiro, inwater depths ranging from 120to 140 meters.

GE Oil & Gas is commit-ting to 80 percent local contentin fulfilling the contract, withmost of the subsea equipmentto be built at GE plants inJandira and Macaé, Brazil. Sur-face equipment will be par-tially supplied from GEfacilities in Houston, Texas.Shipments will begin in thefirst quarter of 2012 and con-tinue until the end of 2015.

“This is a major strategicwin for GE Oil & Gas in Brazil,resulting from 13 months ofoutstanding teamwork amongvarious GE business units andOGX,” said Calixto Deberal-dini, Brazil oil and gas salesmanager for GE. “The agree-ment builds upon our alreadystrong relationship with OGX,which is one of our most im-

portant global customers,” em-phasized Fernando Martins,Latin America vice presidentfor GE Oil & Gas.

This latest agreement withOGX reinforces GE’s role as aleading supplier of subseadrilling systems for offshoreoperators in Brazil. Since 2007,the GE drilling and productionbusiness has provided morethan 300 subsea wellhead sys-tems to 15 different operatorsfor projects offshore Brazil.

GE also has announcedplans to invest US$500 millionto expand its operations in thecountry, including the estab-lishment of a multi-discipli-nary research and developmentcenter in Rio de Janeiro.Among the focus areas for thenew center will be advancedtechnologies for the oil and gassector. In addition, GE’s recentacquisition of Wellstream, aleading producer of flexiblepipe equipment, significantlyexpands GE’s capabilities toserve the Brazilian offshoremarket.

OGX is responsible for thelargest private sector ex-ploratory campaign in Brazil.Since its inception in June2007, OGX has established aleading position in the Brazil-ian oil and natural gas explo-ration and production sectorby acquiring a diversified port-folio comprised of 34 ex-ploratory blocks—22 offshoreand 12 onshore.

GE Oil & Gashas scooped amajor contractto supply subseaand surfaceequipment forOGX CamposBasindevelopmentprojects usingtechnology toboost initialproduction fromWaimea andWaikiki Fields

Brazil work forGE from OGX


John Krenicki, vicechairman, president andceo, GE Energy

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International oil and gasservice group GE todayhas signed more than $3billion in new customer

agreements spanning its Energybusiness. The orders includenatural gas production technolo-gies in subsea and liquefied nat-ural gas sectors; natural gastechnologies to produce powersuch as heavy-duty andaeroderivative gas turbines, gasengines and waste-heat recoverysolutions; wind turbines; andwater treatment, grid infrastruc-ture and equipment optimiza-tion technologies. Together, theyreflect the expanded set of capa-bilities GE offers to customersacross multiple energy intensiveindustrial sectors.

Advanced technology“Energy technologies—from ex-ploration to power generation—are in high demand by ourcustomers, particularly inemerging markets,” said GE vicechairman John Krenicki. “Ourinvestments in technology de-velopment and recent acquisi-tions are enabling us to bringadvanced products to help our

customers improve their energyintensive processes.”

The contracts include anumber of “firsts” and key mile-stones for GE technology:

GE secured more than $800million in new commitments tosupply wind and gas turbines forprojects in Brazil that will pro-duce 1.4 gigawatts of electric-ity—40 percent of the totalamount awarded in energy auc-tions conducted recently byBrazil’s National Electric PowerAgency. GE won commitmentsfor GE’s 1.6 wind turbine tech-nology that will provide at least378 megawatts of power. As partof Brazil’s energy auction, whichcovers multiple types of powergeneration, GE also won 100percent of the natural gas powergeneration opportunities withGE’s 7FA Gas Turbine com-bined-cycle technology to supplymore than 1 gigawatt of power.The commitments announcedtoday are in addition to windcommitments previously won byGE in Brazil in 2009 and 2010auctions to supply more than800 megawatts of power.

Also in Brazil, GE has beenawarded a major subsea and sur-face contract with a potentialvalue of $230 million from OGXPetróleo e Gás Ltda., markingthe largest contract ever signedbetween GE and OGX and thefirst one involving the supply ofequipment for developmentprojects already in the produc-tion phase. As of today, $32 mil-lion in formal orders have beensigned and booked. The drillingand production equipment forthree offshore fixed productionplatforms will be deployed in

Brazil’s Waimea and Waikiki oiland gas fields, where OGX plansto drill a significant number ofproduction wells over the nextfour years.

In the single largest order forGE power generation technologybetween GE and Egypt, GE En-ergy has signed two contracts for$300 million to supply six ad-vanced F-Technology gas tur-bines and associated services fortwo new combined-cycle powerplants near Cairo. The projectswill add 2,250 megawatts, whichis 10 percent of capacity, to thecountry’s power grid, supportingresidents and businesses inCairo.

In Australia, GE technologyhas been selected for the world’slargest Floating Liquefied Natu-ral Gas platform (FLNG). Mark-ing a milestone for GE, theagreement is GE’s first order inthe FLNG industry for main re-frigerant trains, a vital elementof the liquefaction process inwhich natural gas is cooled to aliquid status. The Shell Preludeproject, which is about 200 kilo-meters off of Western Australia’sKimberly Coast and will featureGE steam turbine-driven com-pressors, is a breakthrough fortapping into stranded gas re-serves in remote sites. With thisproject, the total value of LNGcontracts awarded globally to GEby different companies in thefirst nine months of 2011reaches $1 billion, underscoringGE’s successful trend in supply-ing onshore, offshore and float-ing LNG projects.

GE has earned more than$1.5 billion in new commit-ments for its new 1.6-100 wind


GE contractwins GE Energy

contracts win

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Safety through

quality!

In offshore operation under waterquality and safety standards have the highest priorityduring planning, construction and operation.

Böhmer ball valvesare therefore continuously developed further and adap-ted to the ever changing conditions of practical use.The fully welded Böhmer ball valves do not onlyfulfil the technical requirements of the relevantstandards.Especially for offshore operation“Duplex” material is used.So they are versatile applicable indifferent areas, for example inthe extraction of gas,in the oil-and petro-chemicalindustry.

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turbine, the world’s most effi-cient wind turbine in its class.New deals for 750 turbines havebeen signed bringing the totalnumber of units to 1,248 for the1.6-100 wind turbine technol-ogy, which will be put into windfarms in North and SouthAmerica over the next twoyears. Highlighting the increas-ing demand for GE’s latest tech-nology, commitments for GE’s1.6-100 have grown to nearly 2gigawatts in September, bringingthe total to-date to $2.7 billion.

In Iraq, GE has been selectedby BP Iraq-N.V.-British Petro-leum for enhanced oil recoveryoperations to increase produc-tion in the Rumaila oil field ofsouthern Iraq. In an innovativeengineering approach for themore than $40 million project,GE teamed up to offer pumps,Waukesha gas engine technologyrecently acquired from DresserInc., gas systems, valves, air cool-ers and condition monitoringtechnology that is a major com-ponent of predictive mainte-nance as it monitors criticalfactors such as vibration andtemperature.

Also in Iraq, GE is reinforc-ing its commitment to supportthe country’s expanding energyinfrastructure by signing amulti-million dollar, multi-yearagreement with Mass Global In-

vestment Company, an inde-pendent power producer inNorthern Iraq. Under the agree-ment, GE will provide technol-ogy and services to help MassGlobal maintain the high relia-bility and overall performance ofthe 18 GE gas turbines installedat the Arbil, Sulaimaniyah andDohuk power plants, located inIraq’s Kurdistan region.

In GE’s first joint deploy-ment of Waukesha engine tech-nology and Jenbacher GasEngines, GE will provide on-sitepower and water treatment so-lutions for Queensland GasCompany’s (QGC) major Aus-tralian coal seam gas-to-LNGproject. The engines will gener-ate reliable, on-site power forGE’s advanced membrane andthermal water treatment tech-nologies that are being installedto desalinate water producedduring the extraction of coalseam gas. QGC is developing theworld’s first LNG project basedon gas from coal seams and GE’stechnology is helping QGC makeAustralia a new global source ofLNG.

In Indonesia, the SenipahProject marks the first installa-tion of GE’s advanced aeroderiv-ative gas turbine LM6000-PGtechnology in Asia and the sec-ond installation in the world. AsIndonesia advances plans for in-

creased electrification, the newpower plant—which will featuretwo GE 41-megawatt aeroderiv-ative units—provides a catalystfor economic growth in the EastKalimantan region of Indonesia.

In Canada, where oil sandsare growing in importance as asource of fuel, Grizzly Oil SandsULC’s Algar Lake project nearFort McMurray, Alberta,Canada, is one of three recentprojects to choose GE’s patentedevaporative technology to treatand recycle its wastewater. GE’sproduced water evaporationprocess will recycle 97 percentof the wastewater and is theonly method that is commer-cially proven to achieve com-plete water recycling. Itdramatically reduces freshwaterrequirements and also offerslower total capital and operatingcosts.

The contracts follow GE’slaunch of the new FlexAeroLM6000-PH, a highly-efficient50-megawatt (MW) gas turbine,unveiled in Houston in Septem-ber. The launch of the FlexAerocoincided with GE Energy hav-ing received more than $1 billionin orders and commitments forheavy duty and aeroderivativegas turbines for projectsthroughout North Americasince January 1, 2011, said thecompany.


GE contractwins

GE OIL & Gas is supplying aninnovative, integrated packageof pumps, gas engines and ad-ditional equipment to BP Iraq-N.V. for produced waterre-injection operations to in-crease production in the Ru-maila oil field of southernIraq.

To fulfill the customer’sdiverse technology require-ments, GE Oil & Gas calledupon other GE Energy re-sources including Waukeshagas engines and BentlyNevada’s condition monitor-ing product lines.

“The innovative engineer-ing approach used for this

project featured the integra-tion and packaging of severalGE products, namely pumps,gas engines, gas systems,valves and air coolers. GE isproud to be able to offer ourcustomers such an integratedsolution for produced waterre-injection as part of produc-tion enhancement plans forthe Rumaila Field,” saidPrady Iyyanki, president andCEO—turbomachinery equip-ment for GE Oil & Gas.

The scope of GE’s con-tract, valued at more than $40million, included 10 high-pressure, axially split pumpsfor water injection driven by

10 gas engines, six boosterpumps driven by electric mo-tors, two gas system stationsfor feeding and conditioningand auxiliaries including aircoolers, control valves and airstarting systems. The equip-ment will be shipped duringthe second half of 2012.

Other critical features ofthe GE agreement with BPIraq include: a single contactpoint for the entire bundle ofequipment, one manufacturerfor the entire package to re-duce technology alignment is-

sues, an opti-mized scope ofwork to reduce installationtime and an integrated ap-proach that allows the cus-tomer to save money and timein the project managementphase.

To date, about 50 produc-tive oil and gas reservoirshave been identified acrossIraq, with Rumaila being themost productive. After yearsof unrest, the country’s oil in-dustry is showing strong signsof growth and promise.

In Brief

Re-injected water in Iraq


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Houston-based BPExploration &Production is toimplement a new

set of deepwater oil and gasdrilling standards for its opera-tions in the US Gulf of Mexico,“demonstrating the company’scommitment to safe and reli-able operations” in the wake ofthe Macondo oil spill in 2010,said the company.

The announcement wasmade in a letter to the directorof the U.S. Bureau of OceanEnergy Management, Regula-

tion and Enforcement(BOEMRE), MichaelBromwich.

The voluntary perform-ance standards go beyond ex-isting regulatory obligationsand reflect the company’s de-termination to apply lessons itlearned from the DeepwaterHorizon accident and subse-quent oil spill.

“BP’s commitment in thewake of the Deepwater Hori-zon incident is not only to re-store the economic andenvironmental conditions

among the affected areas of theGulf Coast, but also to applywhat we have learned to im-prove the way we operate,”said BP group chief executiveBob Dudley. “We believe thecommitments we have outlinedtoday will promote greater lev-els of safety and preparednessin deepwater drilling.”

The foundations for thesenew voluntary standards forBP’s Gulf of Mexico deepwaterdrilling operations have beendeveloped since the DeepwaterHorizon incident and throughthe lessons learned. BP is nowmaking these standards publicand isw now implementingthem into its operations in theGulf of Mexico.

The new voluntary stan-dards are:

BPXP will use, and will re-quire its contractors in-volved in drillingoperations to use, subseablowout preventers (BOPs)equipped with no fewerthan two blind shear ramsand a casing shear ram onall drilling rigs under con-tract to BPXP for deepwa-ter service operating indynamic position mode.With respect to mooreddrilling rigs under contractto BPXP for deepwaterdrilling service using sub-sea BOPs, the subsea BOPwill be equipped with twoshear rams, which will in-clude at least one blindshear ram and either an ad-ditional blind shear ram ora casing shear ram.Each time a subsea BOP

Post Macondo,BP is seekingnew ways ofworking in theGulf of Mexico

BP USA seekssafety boost


Drilling

BP has revamped itsdrilling standards for

the Gulf of Mexico(Courtesy, BP)

drilling q7.qxp:Layout 2 20/9/11 11:50 Page 12

from a moored or dynami-cally-positioned drilling rigis brought to the surfaceand testing and mainte-nance on the BOP are con-ducted, BPXP will requirethat a third party verifythat the testing and main-tenance of the BOP wereperformed in accordancewith manufacturer recom-mendations and industryrecommended practice(API RP 53).BPXP will require that lab-oratory testing of cementslurries for primary ce-menting of casing and ex-posed hydrocarbon-bearingzones relating to drillingoperations of deepwaterwells be conducted or wit-nessed by a BPXP engineercompetent to evaluate suchlaboratory testing, or acompetent third party in-dependent of the cement

provider. BPXP will pro-vide laboratory results tothe applicable BOEMREfield office within a reason-able period of time.BPXP’s Oil Spill ResponsePlan (OSRP) will includeinformation about en-hanced measures for re-sponding to a spill in openwater, near-shore responseand shoreline spill responsebased on lessons learnedfrom the Deepwater Hori-zon oil spill.“BP is adopting these vol-

untary actions as part of itscommitment to safe and reli-able operations, and to help re-build trust in the companyfollowing last year’s accidentand oil spill,” said JamesDupree, BP regional president,Gulf of Mexico. “BP is thelargest lease holder in the deep-water Gulf of Mexico and weintend to be a significant busi-

ness presence here for a longtime to come. We look forwardto implementing these bestpractices and sharing whatwe’ve learned.”

In addition to these fourvoluntary performance stan-dards, BP has also implementedseveral actions that demon-strate commitment to excel-lence within its operations.

These include:Establishing a real-timedrilling operations centerin Houston.Assessing and increasingwell control competencies.Collaboration with groupslike Clean Gulf Associatesand Marine Spill ResponseCorporation to augmentand enhance industry re-sponse technology and ca-pabilities.Support of the Marine WellContainment Companywith containment knowl-

edge, equipment and staff.Sharing the company’s ex-perience in simultaneousoperations, which incorpo-rated the unprecedenteduse of remotely operatedvehicles and close quartersmanagement of marine re-sponse vessels and activi-ties.Collaboration withBOEMRE, the Ocean En-ergy Safety Advisory Com-mittee, the Center forOffshore Safety and othersin a joint technology pro-gram focusing on BOP sys-tems.BP is focused on imple-

menting these new voluntarystandards in the Gulf of Mex-ico and expects to share infor-mation on these standardswith regulators and operatorsin other countries as part of itsongoing sharing of lessonslearned, said the company.


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drilling q7.qxp:Layout 2 20/9/11 11:50 Page 13

Separators are usedthroughout the oiland gas industry tosplit production flu-

ids into components of oil, gasand water (as well as contami-nants). On an offshore facility,the equipment is found in manyparts of the overall process. Theinitial separator, usually re-ferred to as first stage, separatesthe initial stream into distinctgas, oil and water streams.These streams are then individ-ually processed. Poor separa-tion performance can hinderoverall production; in somecases, platforms produce only50% of design capacity due topoor separation.

The industry has used com-putational fluid dynamics(CFD) extensively to trou-bleshoot separation equipmentperformance with differentmethodologies. The most com-mon is segregated single-phasesimulation, in which gas andliquid phases are analysed sepa-rately. Multiphase volume offluids (VoF) simulations areuseful in analysing liquid slosh-

ing behaviour in separators se-cured to moving platforms.This sloshing analysis is usuallycarried out in combination witha user-defined function that ad-justs gravity and applies threeinertial forces: coriolis, eulerand centrifugal. Historically,fluids neither enter nor leavethe vessel.

BenefitsAs new separation equipmentbecomes smaller and flow ratesexceed the design capacity ofexisting equipment, end usersare questioning the accuracy ofboth the segregated single-phaseapproach and VoF for slosh-ing. Extended use of multiphasesimulation is now possible as aresult of enhancements to com-puter power and ANSYS Flu-eNt capabilities.

Software improvementshave led to reduced run times;multiphase and turbulencemodels have a greater ability tohandle primary and secondaryphases. The multiphasemethod overcomes the limita-tions of segregated single-phase

and VoF approaches. It also al-lows for detailed analysis of in-terphase interactions, providingmore realistic results. SwiftTechnology Group has studiedtwo types of separation devicesthat use the multiphase method.

Droplet separation is funda-mental to good separation. Themost common equipment fordroplet separation is vertical orhorizontal vessels that use grav-ity as the driving force. Morecompact separation equipmentoften uses cyclones. By spin-ning the flow, employing a stan-dard tangential inlet, or usingmore-elaborate swirl elements,cyclones can generate accelera-tions many times that of gravityto potentially provide more effi-cient separation in a smalleramount of space. However,many other considerationsmust be investigated.

Traditionally, cyclonicequipment required exhaustiveprototyping and testing to en-sure that the many negativeconsequences were designedout of the final product — alengthy and costly exercise. In arecent R&D program for cy-clone development, Swift re-searchers found that the timefor each design change cyclewas approximately eight weeksat a cost of around £45,000($72,000) per cycle, with sevenchanges required. By usingCFD, each change can be mod-elled in two weeks, requiringonly one actual test — saving atotal of more than £300,000.Note, however, that it is difficultto quantify the exact benefits ofsimulation in every case.

Separating thestreams


MultiphaseSeparation

Multiphase separation isa key technology fordeveloping subsea fields[Courtesy BP]

multi.qxp:Layout 2 20/9/11 12:14 Page 14


THERE ARE many examplesin which the mixture multi-phase model has been used toanalyse separation within cy-clonic equipment. The modelis applicable for dilute-to-mod-erately dense volume loading,for low-to moderate particulateloading, and for cases in whichthe Stokes number is less than1. The simplified model canbe used for hydrocyclones —equipment whose main func-tion is to separate final oildroplets from water prior todisposal at sea. The compre-hensive eulerian multiphasemodel is applicable to the com-plex flows that are found inthe most common types of sep-aration equipment designed toremove bulk phases as well asre-entrained droplets. userscan enhance their analysis ofcyclonic flows by applying thereynolds stress turbulencemodel without limitation forall primary and secondaryphases. One important part ofseparator analysis is com-monly overlooked: the impact

of upstream piping. This sys-tem has a large effect on thedistribution of fluids withinthe vessel.

The simulation examplesprovided —horizontal and ver-tical gravity-driven separatorsas well as cyclone-based sepa-rators —incorporate the im-pact of up-stream piping. It isdifficult to accurately validatethe simulation results of theinstalled vertical cyclone andseparator. Simulation hasbeen shown to accurately cap-ture both flow field and sepa-ration performance in lab andpilot test rigs. Using thesemodelling strategies as well asexhaustive testing performedover many years, all the criticalaspects of the flow are cor-rectly resolved and indicate thekey performance characteris-tics.

As a result, Swift ischanging out the internalcomponents of many vesselsbased upon simulation re-

sults. The main function of ahorizontal three-phase separa-tor is to split a feed streaminto discrete gas, oil andwater streams. Normally, gasis the primary phase, and thetwo liquid phases are second-ary. These liquid phases formdroplets that are entrained inthe gas phase, and they pro-duce a film on the pipe wallsleading to the separator. Thefirst component in the separa-tor is the inlet device, whoseprimary function is to providea coarse separation of gas andliquid phases. The gas phasecontinues along the top of thevessel, while the liquids dropto the bottom of the separator.At the bottom of the vessel,the two liquid phases sepa-rate, with the water at thebottom and the oil forming alayer between the water andgas phases.

In most cases, perforatedbaffles are used along thelength of the horizontal vessel

to control liquid phase flowsand to distribute them evenlyacross the available cross-sec-tional area of the vessel, min-imising axial velocity andmaximising separation. Theeulerian model is required inthis type of simulation becauseof the number of fluid regimechanges.

In a vertical productionseparator with a vane-typeinlet device example, gas andliquid are introduced at thestart of the pipe run to the sep-arator vessel. The pipe routingcauses the liquid to be biasedto one side of the vessel —which does not produce opti-mal separation and, in somecases, can lead to the gross car-ryover of liquid though thevessel’s gas outlet.

In conclusion, Swift re-searchers have found thatANSYS FlueNt software canmodel — to a high degree ofaccuracy — many combina-tions and permutations of sep-arators available within theindustry.

Separation simulation

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multi.qxp:Layout 2 20/9/11 12:14 Page 15

In early 2000, Royal Aus-tralian Navy submarinesequipped with NautronixNASHAIL through-water

communications were able tooutmanoeuvre the oppositionin exercises, says ceo Patterson.“The company then won a two-year FCT (Foreign Compara-tive Testing) trial programmefrom the US Navy which re-sulted in a proposed fleet widefit of the technology to US nu-clear submarine fleet. In thecritical area of silent, unde-tectable operations, submarinetest ranges equipped with NAS-PAR (Nautronix PortableAcoustic Range) were recog-nised as amongst the best in theworld, with projects in Japan,Australia and the UK, he adds.

In 2006 the Nautronix de-fence business was sold to aleading US defence contractor,L3 Communications, a movewhich would allow the tech-nology to be used in top secretUS Navy work where a Scot-tish company would be unableto operate.

Following this sale,Nautronix relocated its head-quarters to the current prem-

ises in Aberdeen to concen-trate on the development andproduction of subsea acousticsfor the oil & gas industry. Itssystems are today deployedglobally and right across thewater depth spectrum fromshallow to ultra-deep.

NASNet developmentsRecognising the need for amulti-user, fast update rate,deepwater acoustics networkfor both positioning and com-munications offshore, Patter-son elected to focusdevelopment activity on thetwo products he saw as “veryexciting” – NASNet and NAS-BOP. In his view, had NASNet,with its unlimited multi-usercapability, been in operation inthe Macondo field at the timeof last year”s Deepwater Hori-zon disaster “much more couldhave been achieved muchfaster” in the aftermath.

Undeterred by potential ac-cusations of “20:20 hindsight”,notes Patterson: “It has beenaccepted that one of the majorlimitations of subsea activity,following this tragic event, wasthe lack of acoustic channel

availability using traditionalacoustic systems.v vThe oldestof these systems are analogueand, worryingly, it is estimatedthat over 80% of offshore ves-sels of various types are still op-erating with analogue acousticback-up systems in 2011.These need to change to digitalas soon as possible. Even then,most systems are limited by thefundamental concept employedfor signalling. They may per-form better than when theywere analogue but there arestill limits to the number ofsystems which can operate inclose proximity, and using“two way” signals they stillhave much slower update ratesthan a passive, truly multi-usersystem such as NASNet.Challenge of Macondo“The positioning challenges atMacondo were posed by thenumber of close proximity si-multaneous operations(SIMOPS) due to the numberof vessels, subsea vehicles andassets,” adds Patterson.“Acoustics are now a must onevery vessel with ROV and DP,and it is when you have agroup of these vessels togetherthat the problems arise. Tradi-tional LBL systems are severelylimited by the amount of fre-quencies that can operate si-multaneously in the same area.One ROV support vessel couldeasily use all the availablechannels. Therefore, with tra-ditional technology – analogueor digital – there is a tremen-dous amount of field manage-ment required and in busysituations that can mean a lot

Acoustics Subsea acousticson the upgrade


With its advancedAcoustic DigitalSpread SpectrumSignalling(branded ADS²)technology andoperating frombases inAustralia, the USand UK,Nautronixtargeted subseaacousticsapplications inboth the defenceand oil & gassectors in itsearly days.

Where theacoustics problemlie

acoustics q7.qxp:Layout 2 20/9/11 11:51 Page 16

of vessel and asset downtime.This can waste a great deal ofmoney, but in the case of anemergency, such as Macondo,the losses can extend far be-yond that.

“In the past, decisions tonot install NASNet have in themain been financially based,but in the future we anticipatethat the value of having such asystem in place, for normal op-erations and emergency plan-ning, will now be fullyrecognised,” says Patterson.

Another area outwith nor-mal field operations where hesees NASNet providing “trulyoutstanding” service in futureis in handling the disruption toGPS satellite signals caused by“scintillation” during periodsof solar activity. “This cyclicalphenomenon occurs every 11years and we are now in yearnine and nearing the peak ofthe cycle,” explains Patterson.“The last time it happenedthere were only around fivevessels with DP in Brazil whichcould have lost position. Thereare now 35 vessels, and in threeyears this could be 50 vesselspotentially affected by the lossof GPS signals during scintilla-tion. At the height of the nextnew cycle (2025) there could behundreds of DP vessels affectedif Petrobras achieve their ambi-tions for all the newbuilds theyare planning.

“Rigs and vessels which areequipped with NASNet DPRdeployed will be able to con-tinue working seamlesslythrough scintillation becausethe information update rate ofevery second is fast enough forDP systems to recognise as re-liable positioning data andtherefore to continue operat-ing. Without such a systemthere is a high risk of having tosuspend operations duringscintillation, with the resultantcost impact.”

Life-of-field requirementsAccording to Alan Nicol, Di-

rector of Operations atNautronix, NASNet is “at itsbest” during field installa-tion/development when multi-ple vessels are operating inclose proximity. “In this sce-nario, both operational and fi-nancial benefits of NASNet aresignificant,” he says, citing thefollowing examples of potentialmulti-vessel requirements:

Fast track projects toachieve first oil

Simultaneous drilling andconstruction operations

Any simultaneous opera-tions (SIMOPS) requiring ves-sels – for drilling, constructionsupport, pipelay, heavy liftingand the like - that commandhigh day rates while waiting onbasic frequency management.

“It seems clear that a trueunlimited multi-user subseapositioning system offers realbenefits over traditional sys-tems in normal field operations– especially in deepwater,” headds.

Alan says it would be idealif a complete NASNet networkwere deployed at the start offield development, but in real-ity this is normally achieved instages. “NASNet stations canbe set out where the first activ-ities are to take place, and thenstations can be added as thefield expands,” he explains.

“It is important torecognise that NASNet ismuch more than a positioningsystem. It is a through-watercommunications system whichenables a wide range of data tobe transmitted across large

fields,” says Alan. “For exam-ple, well condition, riser, andenvironmental monitoring canbe measured and sent to thehost platform. This can offerpotentially huge benefits infield management as well assafety and redundancy scenar-ios.”

Patterson adds: “Macondohas taught the industry a lot oflessons, not least of which is toreview some of the parameterson which investment decisionsare based. A NASNet MkIInetwork might cost a littlemore to install initially, but thelife-of-field benefits and poten-tial savings greatly outweighinstallation costs.”

Cascade-ChinookA 2009/2010 contract from

Petrobras Americas Inc sawNautronix deploy a NASNetnetwork for the deepwaterGulf of Mexico Cascade-Chi-nook development which, injust under 3000m of water, isthe world”s deepest productionsubsea field development yet.

The initial scope of supplywas 14 NASNet stations and22 NASNet MS (Mini Station)units with all the associatedvessel equipment for a two-year period. Petrobras installedthe system and then made thepositioning signals availablefree of charge to the field in-stallation contractors. The sys-tem was used by multiplecontractors simultaneously togreat success,” says Pattersonquoting the following observa-tions on NASNet performance

from the survey and ROVcrews on a Cascade-Chinooksupport vessel:

“Positioning has been ex-cellent throughout the project”and “Time saved during um-bilical lay due to having goodpositioning throughout proj-ect”. Offshore ROV team

“Far superior to LBL forlarge field positional coverageto <1m accuracy during track-ing”; “far simpler to use for ve-hicle tracking and sub-meteraccuracy at depth” and “oncethe array is installed it has alonger lifespan subsea in com-parison to a constantly interro-gated Sonardyne Mk 5 LBLarray”. Offshore Survey team

The company received sim-ilarly impressive feedback fol-lowing earlier large-scaledeployments of NASNet in theAgbami field, offshore WestAfrica, and Frade, offshoreBrazil, reports Patterson. “Sig-nificant cost savings have beenachieved through each deploy-ment,” he adds.

How NASNet works“The operating principles

of NASNet are easy to under-stand, hence the analogy to“underwater GPS,” says Pat-terson. “NASNet stations arelaid in a grid on the seabed -across a whole field or in a spe-cific area. Set at distances of upto 4km apart, depending on thetopography of the seabed, theyform a network from a mini-mum of three stations. Thesestations are constantly broad-casting ADS² acoustic signalsand any vessel or asset fittedwith a NASNet receiver andthe topside equipment is ableto accurately measure its posi-tion - irrespective of how manyother vessels or assets may beoperating in proximity.

“Therefore not only doesNASNet offer this genuinemulti-user capability, its updatetimes are so much faster thantraditional LBL. Speed ofsound in water is approxi-mately 1500m/sec, therefore in


Nautronixgear beingdeployed


a water depth of 4500m a tra-ditional two-way signal takes aminimum of six seconds to up-date. A lot can happen in thattime. With a NASNet MkIIpassive system the rapid, one-second update rate can be ben-eficial to ROVs and even adrilling vessel if the GPS signalwere to fail.”

NASNet MkII waslaunched late last year when,as Nautronix chief surveyorSam Hanton puts it, “wereached a stage when therewere so many real improve-ments we had developed fromthe original system”. Key up-grades cited by Hanton in-clude:

Development of the Geo-Line planning software, allow-ing maximum optimisation ofthe NASNet station layout andimproving array performanceand efficiency.

NASNet MS (Mini Sta-tions) and NASNet stationscan now operate together incombined arrays, providingmuch more flexibility

NASNet DPR, a new facil-ity for drilling rig DP inputproviding the same NASNetMkII benefits, can be used ei-ther with an existing largeNASNet array or a small MiniStation array accompanyingthe rig wherever it operates.

Field management is now

fully automatic with informa-tion on NASNet Station buoypositions, timing etc all beingautomatically by the seabedarray itself.

MkII stations have a bat-tery life now extending up tofour years” continuous use, re-gardless of how many users areoperating in the area.

According to Hanton, theNASNet MkII user interfacehas also been significantly en-hanced and is more userfriendly thanks in large part tocustomer feedback. “It is nowextremely comprehensive, butmuch easier to use and moreintuitive in operation.”

www.nautronix.com

Acoustics



Desalination

While the abilityto producepotable wateroffshore has

long been an option, it may beless well-known (particularlyamong those who disregard theprocess as a necessary evil) thattechnological advances havemade the provision of freshwater at sea far less painful thanit once was.

For decades, offshore opera-tions – as well as large militaryand commercial vessels – havebeen able to pump out their ownsupplies of potable water withthermal desalination units.These simple units boil seawater and collect the desalinatedsteam vapour but, despite theirsimplicity, are not pleasant to bearound, thanks (or rather nothanks) to the heat and noisethat they produce. The huge de-mand that these thermal desali-nators make on energy - asignificant portion of which islost as heat - constitutes one ofmany reasons why such unitshave been largely replaced bywatermakers that operate underthe principle of reverse osmosis(RO).

RO units pressurise sea-water above the osmotic pres-sure with a high-pressure pumpand propel it across a semi-per-meable membrane that removesthe impurities. The result is alevel of water purity close on100% delivered by a process thatcan be performed by units ofmany shapes and sizes, some ofthem modular, enabling a rangeof customer choice to suit differ-ent applications.

RO units also require lowlevels of maintenance, thanks torobust parts, self-regulating com-ponents and a series of reliableand convenient condition moni-

toring options. Titanium pumpswith ceramic pistons that areharmonically balanced are pro-viding an impressively robustdefence against corrosion andenable smoother running. Au-tomatic regulating valves reducethe need for constant hands-oncompensation of system flowsand pressures. Membrane fil-ters, such as those provided byParker Racor’s Village Marinerange, use innovative, high effi-ciency spiral-wound mem-branes, made from the highestgrade polyamide thin film com-posite materials, along withpleated polypropylene sedimentprefilters, which ensure an ex-tremely high level of perform-ance. Overall, RO units todayare capable of producing a highlevel of purity with little assis-tance and, in the highly unlikelyevent of a failure that causes thequality of the water to dropbelow an acceptable standard,back-up systems will divert sup-plies overboard.

RO units enable offshore en-gineers to spend less time at-tending to desalination andmore time on the many otherduties they have to perform. Itis now even possible for crewmembers to monitor their sys-tems via remote controllers with

LCD colourtouchscreens. These

controllers enable the easy mon-itoring and control of water pu-rity, salinity and temperatureand also offer the option to re-ceive alerts when water pressureis low, when salinity levels arebeyond the set range and whenregular services are scheduled.

The ability to provide cleanfresh water is essential for thehealth and wellbeing of all off-shore personnel. The waterused for drinking, ice-making,showers, dishwashing and laun-dry washing must be completelyfree from impurities such assalts, other minerals and organicmatter, which is why reverse os-mosis watermakers have beenwelcomed by offshore operators.

Thanks to the many innova-tions that continue to enhancethem, reverse osmosis desalina-tion systems are providing a con-venient and reliable method ofproviding fresh water at sea.Their popularity has created ahealthy marketplace for water-makers, which in turn has en-abled manufacturers to providethem at increasingly affordableprices. The resilience of compo-nents and the range of labour-saving features in the latestdesalination systems have donemuch to make life easier off-shore, bringing engineers peaceof mind and bringing owners apremium product at less than apremium price.

www.parker.com

Pure and simple The offshoreprovision of pure,fresh water is nolonger the resultof hot, noisytemperamentalmachinery butcompact,reliable, lowmaintenanceunits, says AndyPay of ParkerHannifin’s RacorFilter DivisionEurope


Parker Racor’s Pure Water Series

desa.qxp:Layout 2 20/9/11 11:36 Page 19

Norwegian oil giantStatoil and its de-velopment part-ners ENI of Italy

and Nautical Petroleum havechosen the concept for theMariner heavy oil project onthe UK continental shelf. Thepartnership has selected a pro-duction, drilling and quarter(PDQ) platform based on a steeljacket, with a ship-shaped float-ing storage unit (FSU). Statoilexpects a final investment deci-sion in late 2012 and first oil inlate 2016.

The Bressay heavy oil proj-ect on the UK continental shelfis also progressing according toplan, one year behind Mariner,to ensure transfer of learningand synergies.

At Mariner, the partnersplan to install a 25,000 tonnePDQ platform based on a steeljacket in 110 m (361 ft) waterdepth.

The Mariner and Bressayprojects were presented by Sta-toil’s executive vice presidentfor Development and Produc-tion International, Peter Mell-bye, at SPE Offshore Europe2011 in Aberdeen.

“After a period of uncer-tainty, I am proud to be able tosay that we are back on trackwith the landmark Mariner andBressay developments. To beable to once again move theseprojects forward is importantfor Statoil and its partners, aswell as for the UK and for theAberdeen region,” says Mellbye.

The ultra-heavy oil projectswill require pioneering technol-

ogy in order to be developed, hesaid.

Statoil estimates Mariner’srecoverable reserves at 300-500million barrels. However, the oilis ultra-heavy and viscous, withAPI gravities of 12.1°-14.6°and viscosities ranging from 67cp in the field’s Maureen reser-voir to 508 cp in the Heimdalreservoir. The platform willhave 50 integrated well slots –Statoil has drawn up 145 reser-voir targets for production orinjection, but this figure shouldbe achieved through use ofmulti-branch wells, side tracks,and reuse of slots.

The installation is based ona 25,000 tonne production,drilling, and quarters (PDQ)platform based on a steel jacketin 110 m (361 ft) water depth.It will have a capacity of850,000 bbl moored 2.5 km(1.55 mi) away from the plat-form. The platform will importfuel gas via a connection to anexisting gas pipeline.

Since its discovery thirtyyears ago, the Mariner field hasbeen subject to a number of de-velopment studies by differentoperators.

Statoil is the first companyready to put forward a develop-ment concept that will fully ad-

dress the complexities of thisfield, in particular related toreservoir management, recov-ery rates and project execution.The company is bringing in itsextensive heavy oil experience,including the successful devel-opment of the Grane field inNorway and the Peregrino fieldin Brazil.

Because of the low well flowrates and early water break-through there is a need formany wells, artificial lift, and aprocess designed to handle largeliquid rates and oil-water emul-sions. A total of 145 reservoirtargets for production or injec-tion are planned for Mariner.While the number of well slotsat the platforms is less, this willbe solved through use of multi-branch technology, sidetracksand reuse of slots.

The Mariner and Bressayprojects will entail a gross in-vestment of roughly £6 billion.Statoil estimates lasting em-ployment of at least 700 peoplemainly locals, directly involvedin its operations, and the es-tablishment of a new opera-tions centre in Aberdeen. Theindirect employment of nu-merous others in the supplyand service sectors comes inaddition to this.

Mariner heavy oilplans


Statoil

Peter Mellbye, Statoil’sexecutive vice presidentfor Development andProduction International

Artist’s impression ofthe Mariner concept

statiolqxp.qxp:Layout 2 20/9/11 11:28 Page 20


FESInternational, aglobal providerof fluid transfersystems is topartner withHelix Energy toprovide theofficialemergencyprotocolprocedure in theGulf of Mexico incase of anotherDeepwaterHorizon disaster

Anew safety andemergency protocolhas been named theHelix Fast Re-

sponse System (HFRS) and en-sures that there will be a quickresponse to any rig that may ex-perience problems in the Gulf.

In the case of DeepwaterHorizon, precious time waswasted as there was no officialprotocol team in place in case ofan emergency. The other mainissue that added to the lengthyrecovery operation is that themajority of oil drilling and pro-duction in the Mexican Gulf isconducted from fixed rig plat-forms as opposed to flexible andmovable FPSOs or FPUs. Whenthe spill occurred last year, theHelix Producer 1 was one of theonly mobilised FPUs with afully mounted disconnectebletransfer turret (DTS), designedby FES, which was capable ofmoving location and transfer-ring fluid from the leak.

In the event of an emer-gency, the Helix Producer 1will stop all oil production andmove to any area where thereis a spill in order to minimiseenvironmental damage in thefuture.

“The FES disconnectabletransfer turret system, which iscurrently aboard the Helix Pro-ducer 1, played a crucial role in

the recovery operation forDeepwater Horizon last year.”Says Rob Anderson, MD ofFES International.

“We are very proud to be apart of the official safety proto-col in the Mexican Gulf and tocontinue working with HelixEnergy on such a worthwhileproject.”

Earlier this year FES Inter-national and Helix Energy pre-sented the MMS with apreliminary emergency proce-dure called the Helix Fast Re-sponse System (HFRS) thatwould cover the Gulf of Mex-ico in case of any future disas-ters helping to minimise risk in

the region.While this has been cur-

rently being adopted as the ini-tial precaution safeguardingthe gulf, FES has been workingclosely with Helix Energy todevelop the permanent safetyprocedure which is set to be in-troduced in October 2011.

The key to the HFRS wellcapping and containmentsystem is the offshore con-struction and interventionQ4000 Platform and the dy-namically positioned HelixProducer 1. The Q4000 effec-tively capture’s the oil spilland brings it to the surface,then this reclaimed oil is off-loaded to the FPU Helix Pro-ducer 1 using a dynamicflexible pipe catenary.

Protocol for Gulfof Mexico

Riser connector on HelixProducer 1

Safety

The mobilized FPU, the Helix Producer 1

safety.qxp:Layout 2 20/9/11 11:35 Page 21

SComplex contribut-ing factors canmake it difficult todiagnose the cause

of a subsea blockage, exact lo-cation and the best way to treatit.

Challenging flow assuranceconditions play a role withwater depth, tie back distanceand temperature all having aneffect. Some blockages are sim-ply down to unreliable and age-ing equipment or human error.

A build-up of wax, scale,asphaltene or hydrates can se-verely affect production lead-ing to a significant loss ofrevenue.

Remediation methods havehistorically been costly such asdeploying a coiled tubing sys-tem from a rig into the pipelineor undertaking subsea inter-ventions using an ROV or sat-

uration divers. The require-ment for a rig or vessel to un-dertake the work can alsosignificantly delay the time toimplement a solution, furthercontributing towards makingthese options economically un-viable.

Paradigm Flow Solutionsdeveloped Pipe-Pulse for thenon-intrusive removal of sub-sea blockages in direct re-sponse to this far reachingindustry challenge. It effec-tively takes the treatment tothe topside and following anumber of successful trials foroperators, the technology wasrecently deployed to a NorthSea field to clear a pipeline anda chemical injection umbilicalline for a supermajor whichhad been blocked for morethan a decade.

Chemical umbilicalsIn less than a week the Pipe-Pulse system had cleared theflowline as well as the subseawax inhibitor chemical umbili-cal and, as a result, enablingproduction in the field to in-crease by more than 3,000 bar-rels of oil per day and criticalwax inhibiter injection to bere-established.

The operator had tried anumber of other conventionalmethods to tackle the issue, butdue to the remote location ofthe blockages from the hostplatform (15 miles), access tothe pipelines and subsea infra-structure proved difficult.

Pipe-Pulse is a remote, non-intrusive method of locating

Subseablockages are acommon industrychallenge thatcan be verydifficult andexpensive toremediate,resulting in manyflowlinesremainingblocked foryears, writes RobBain, managingdirector ofAberdeenshire-based ParadigmFlow Solutions

Separatingthe streams


Pipe-pulse

[Rob Bain, md at ParadigmFlow Solutions

Pipe-pulse undergoingonshore testing

pipe q7.qxp:Layout 2 20/9/11 11:40 Page 22

23.qxp:Layout 1 20/9/11 15:43 Page 1

Pipe-pulse

and removing blockages in longdistance pipelines of up to 30miles. The system is designedto be connected on the topsidesof the host platform through ei-ther the pig launcher or theumbilical termination unit.

Operated by Paradigm en-gineers, persistent blockagescan be completely removed ina matter of days by sendinghigh frequency low amplitudepressure pulses into the flow-line, whilst controlling thelength, volume and pressure ofthe pulse.

The system operates usinga complex series of controlvalves, which are containedwithin the main body of thePipe-Pulse unit which are op-erated through a touch screencontrol panel.

Maersk successProprietary algorithms de-

termine the optimum wavestructure for each pulse, ofwhich there are potentially

millions generated for eachparticular job. The Pipe-Pulseunit then physically createsand transmits the manufac-tured pulse into the pipeline orumbilical, which is then trans-mitted to the front face of theblockage. These controlledpulses allow energy to be trans-ferred into the pipeline or um-bilical in a safe and manageableway, which is far more effec-tive than just applying pres-sure.

During field tests the sys-tem successfully cleared a 4”multi-phase flowline for ShellUK which had been blockedwith sand and wax for 11years.

Pipe-Pulse also accuratelydetected a blockage for Maerskon the North Sea Janice subseadevelopment which turned outto be a collapsed flexibilejumper 10km into the gas liftline of an umbilical. Thisknowledge saved the client anestimated £400,000 by not hav-

ing to mobilise a DSV to inves-tigate the blockage.

For Talisman Energy’sHannay Subsea Development,Pipe-Pulse cleared threeblocked chemical injectionlines in a 13.7km tie back to theBuchan Alpha. The operationtook place within six hours oneach line over two days.

It is not uncommon forPigs to get stuck, particularly ifthere are large quantities ofparaffin or wax in the pipeline,and significant changes inpipeline topography or multi-ple bends. Pipe-Pulse con-tributed towards clearing a Pigstuck 17km into an 8” flowlinein the Gulf of Mexico, enablingthe client to re-establish pro-duction.

Paradigm will be showcas-ing new technology solutionsto subsea and topside blockageproblems at Offshore Europe2011 stand 4/A174.

www.paradigmflowsolutuions.com


pipe q7.qxp:Layout 2 20/9/11 11:40 Page 24

French oil majorTotal, operator ofBlock 17, has boughtthe giant Pazflor field

offshore Angola has come onstream ahead of the initialschedule. The Pazflor field lies150 kilometres off Luanda inwater depths ranging from 600to 1,200 metres and has esti-mated proved and probable re-serves of 590 million barrels.The field will gradually rampup to its full production capac-ity of 220,000 barrels per dayover the coming months.

“Pazflor’s start-up, severalweeks ahead of schedule andwithin budget, is a remarkableachievement of the teams in-volved. The support and trustof Sonangol, our concessionholder and partner, also madean invaluable contribution toour efficiency” says Yves-LouisDarricarrère, President Explo-ration & Production at Total.“Pazflor required a develop-ment effort on the same scaleas the field. Paving a way withnew technologies, the projectshowcases Total’s expertise inhighly complex environments.The project facilities have beendesigned and thoroughly testedin accordance with the strictesthealth, safety and environmen-tal standards. This is anotherstep in the ongoing saga of ourdeep offshore feats, begun righthere in Angola. Deepwater de-velopments are a core driver ofour future production growth.”

Pazflor comprises a vast sub-sea gathering network, the mostcomplex ever built in Angola:180 kilometres of lines tying in49 subsea wells, 10,000 metric

tons of subsea equipment andthe giant Pazflor floating pro-duction, storage and offloading(FPSO) vessel. Held in positionby 16 subsea mooring connec-tors, with its 325 metres long,62 metres wide and a weight ofmore than 120,000 metric tons,the FPSO is the largest in theworld. It can store up to 1.9 mil-lion barrels of oil that is then ex-ported to tankers via anoffloading buoy. The associatedgas is reinjected into the reser-voir, but could also be exportedto the Angola LNG plant oncethe latter becomes operational.

Different gradesA key technical challenge

was producing two very differ-ent grades of oil from four sep-arate reservoirs. Producing theheavy, viscous oil from thethree Miocene reservoirs,which account for two-thirds ofthe reserves, and the relatedflow assurance constraints, rep-resented a major challenge. Thegas has to be separated from theliquids on the seabed so thatthe viscous liquids can then bepumped to the surface. The de-sign and installation of subseagas-liquid separation units andpumps are a world first on thisscale. The pumps were purposedesigned and tested for Pazflor.

Total’s wholly owned sub-sidiary Total E&P Angola op-erates Block 17, with a 40%interest, while Sonangol is theconcession holder. The otherpartners are Statoil ASA(23.3%), Esso Exploration An-gola (Block 17) Limited (20%)and BP Exploration (Angola)Ltd (16.67%).

Total in Angola Total has been present in

Angola since 1953. In 2010,the Group’s operated produc-tion in Angola averaged460,000 barrels of oil equiva-lent per day (boe/d) and itsSEC equity productionamounted to 163,000 boe/d.Most of this production comesfrom blocks 17, 0 and 14.

Total's main asset in An-gola is deepwater Block 17,which it operates with a 40%interest. The deep offshoreblock contains four majorhubs.

Pazflor comes onstream for Total

Deepwaterdevelopmentsare a core driverof our futureproductiongrowth

???


Low Viscosity

High Viscosity

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Call +44 (0)1296 670200

Whatever viscosity you are dealing with – and whatever fl uid – Litre Meter has the

meter for the job.

total.qxp:Layout 2 20/9/11 15:22 Page 25

Tideway, the Dutch-based offshore con-tractor, has startedan erosion protection

system at the Prirazlomnoyarig in the north of Russia. Thecontract involved a stone fill of100,000 tonnes over a periodof more than forty days is in-volved. The work has beencommissioned by the Russianenergy giant Gazprom Neft-shelf. The activities are carried

out to the south-west of NovaZembla, in the Barents Sea.Tideway works in extreme cir-cumstances at this location.The stones are loaded in Mur-mansk. The overall contractvalue of the project amounts toEuro50 million.

The Prirazlomnoya Projecttakes place in the Arctic areabelow Nova Zembla. The proj-ect entails the stone fill of ap-proximately 100,000 tonnes of

Erosionprotection Ice protection


An erosionprotection systemhas been carriedout in theBarents Sea

Prirazlomnoya readied forerosion contract

gaz q7.qxp:Layout 2 20/9/11 11:44 Page 26

27.qxp:Layout 1 20/9/11 12:49 Page 1

quarry stone to protect a newoffshore rig against erosion.The rig has been built by J.S.C.Sevmash for the account ofGazprom Neftshelf and istowed from Severodvinsk tothe Prirazlomnoya oil fieldnear Varandey in the Kara Sea,south-west of Nova Zembla.There, it will be permanentlyinstalled on the sea bed andprovided with the necessaryprotection by Tideway.

The Prirazlomnoya oil rigin the Barents Sea has to beable to withstand extremelylow temperatures and consid-erable formation of ice. The lo-cation is only free from ice 110days per year, the average an-nual temperature amounts to -4 degrees Celsius whereby thetemperature may drop to -50degrees Celsius in the winter.

Work is only possible inthe area four months a year.

The severe climate and the re-strictions imposed by the con-siderable formation of ice,impose the highest require-ments on the technology to beused. The Prirazlomnoya righas been built especially for theexploitation of the oil field andis the first oil production proj-ect in the Russian Arctic Searegion. The oil field was dis-covered in 1989 and is situated60 km off the coast on the con-tinental terrace in the PechoraSea. The Prirazlomnoya ice-re-sistant fixed oil rig is crucial tothe exploitation of the oil field.Production capacity amountsto 18,000 tonnes of crude oil aday.

The bulk of the work willbe done using the Tideway fallpipe vessel Seahorse. The fallpipe vessel Seahorse is espe-cially withdrawn from the Bar-ents Sea where it has been

carrying out protection activi-ties on the Nordstream gaspipeline project, also forGazprom. The DP2 fall pipevessel Seahorse can take17,000 tonnes of quarry stoneon board and place it withgreat precision up to depths of1,000 m.

The sorted quarry stone isstored in the hold of the Sea-horse. The ‘fall pipe’ that issuspended underneath the ves-sel, ensures that the quarrystone ends up on the exact spotabove pipelines or directly onthe sea bed. The bottom end ofthe pipe is equipped with a re-mote operated vehicle (ROV).This ROV is operated from thedeck and controls the laying ofthe quarry stone in three di-mensions and allows for preci-sion work. The work isexpected to be completed bythe end of 2011.

Erosionprotection


Erosion effectsice-bound structures[Courtesy BP]

gaz q7.qxp:Layout 2 20/9/11 11:45 Page 28

Course highlightsu Learn why meteorology and oceanography

(metocean) is important to the offshore oil & gas and marine renewables industries

u Ability to engage internal and external stakeholders about metocean matters

u Explore how the regional metocean conditions around the world impact operations and engineering design

u Examine how metocean statistics are presented and how they are used

u Understand how weather and ocean forecasts are derived

u Identify the process for obtaining key metocean deliverables

u Find out where metocean information and advice can be obtained

REGISTER ONLINE AT: www.imarest.org/eventsEmail: [email protected]

or telephone: 713-995-5156 Quote Ref: OT1011

Save $400 Preferential rates for IMarEST and SUT Members

An essential course providing a greater understanding of metocean and its implications for offshore design and operations

Tuesday 18 – Thursday 20 October 2011

“ The general enthusiasm of the speakers about the subject shone through and the course felt new and exciting” “ Gained a good knowledge of metocean in such a short time”

Comments from delegates who attended previous courses:

METOCEAN AWARENESS COURSE

MCS Kenny15115 Park Row, 3rd Floor, Houston, TX 77084

This course is eligible for CPD

metocean houston A4 ad.indd 1 20/09/2011 09:38

OTC Brazil 2011Rio de Janeiro, BrazilOctober 4 – 6For the first time ever, the Off-shore Technology Conference(OTC) is expanding to Brazilto create the OTC Brasil 2011Conference and Exhibition.OTC Brasil is expanding its ex-hibition space because ofstrong company interest in par-ticipating in the inauguralevent, which will address thedeepwater offshore sector inBrazil and around the world.

The event is being held atRiocentro and already morethan 210 companies represent-ing 17 countries have takenspace at OTC Brasil, includinglong-time OTC exhibitors aswell as companies new toOTC. National pavilions fromChina, USA, Korea, Norway,Denmark, and Finland areconfirmed, and more than 50Brazilian companies are ex-hibiting.

“The large number ofBrazilian companies that areexhibiting at OTC Brasil com-bined with high interest fromaround the world have led tothis expansion of space. Manyexhibitors have said that theyfeel that OTC Brasil will be atruly global show that offersunique opportunities. We arealso getting a great response tothe call for papers for theevent, which underscores thatthis technology-focused confer-ence on Brazil and other deep-water regions meets animportant industry need,” saysSusan Cunningham, 2011Chairman of the OTC Board ofDirectors.

OTC Brasil is a new eventthat will present technical pre-

sentations, plenary sessions, ayoung professional event andan exhibition, sponsored by theOffshore Technology Confer-ence --one of the most impor-tant technical events in theE&P world. The conference isbeing developed with the samecollaboration of 12 sponsoringsocieties that has worked sowell for OTC, plus four Brazil-ian supporting organizations.

www.otcbrasil.org

IMarEST Arctic Ship-ping and Offshore Tech-nology Forum 20115 – 6 October, 2011London, UKThe Arctic is changing. Fast.And the world is hungry forwhat it has to offer, from newshipping routes to oil and gasreserves and seabed mining. Itis set against this backgroundthat the Institute of MarineEngineering, Science andTechnology (IMarEST) andpublisher of Offshore Tech-nology will stage theIMarEST Arctic Shipping andOffshore Technology Forum2011, including the 1st An-nual IMarEST ClassNK Lec-ture.

Professor John CarltonFREng, Professor of MarineEngineering, City UniversityLondon and the 109th Presi-dent of IMarEST will chair thefirst day of the conferencewhen such topics as ‘Prospectsfor safe shipping in harsh envi-ronments’; ‘Material and con-struction for lowtemperatures’; ‘Special re-search into hull forms for icebreakers’; and ‘Technology anddesign challenges for offshorevessels’ come under the con-

ference spotlight in the open-ing session.

www.imarest.org

Lloyd’s Register EnergyConferenceHouston, TexasNovember 9, 2011Reserve your seat at the 2011Lloyd's Register Energy Con-ference, November 9, in Hous-ton, Texas. The eventaddresses oil and gas opera-tions in the new regulatory en-vironment and discusses theoptimal regulatory frameworkfor managing safety and envi-ronmental risks. Bud Danen-berger, former chief, offshoreregulatory programs, U.S. De-partment of the Interior andMark Briggs, OSHA area direc-tor, Occupational Safety andHealth Adminstration(OSHA), are the keynotespeakers at the event. TheLloyd's Register Energy Con-ference offers two tracks and isdesigned to give you full accessto the extensive experience ofLloyd's Register subject matterexperts. Hear first-hand fromthe experts on how to effec-tively adjust to the new operat-ing environment.

www.lrenergy.org/events/default.aspx

IMCA Annual Seminar –‘The future of marine andsubsea ops’November 9 - 10, 2011New Orleans, USAThe highly topical theme ofthis year’s International Ma-rine Contractors Association(IMCA) Annual Seminar –the future of marine and sub-sea operations – has resultedin the publication of a highly


Events Diary dates

Floating productiondevelopments are apopular discussiontopic (Courtesy Shell)

events.qxp:Layout 2 20/9/11 11:25 Page 30


relevant and thought provok-ing programme.

“The Seminar representsthe interests of all four of ourtechnical divisions – marine,diving, remote systems &ROVs, and offshore survey. It isan important event for ourclose on 800 member compa-nies in nearly 60 countries, aswell as their clients and othersactively involved with marinecontracting,” said HughWilliams, Chief Executive ofIMCA.

www.imca-int.com

OPITO Safety and Com-petency Conference –OSCC 2011Tuesday 22 November,2011Rotana Hotel, Yas Is-land, Abu DhabiA forum for improving stan-dards of safety and competencyin the global workplace. Thisyear's theme is 'Competence vsCompliance - how do we en-sure a competent workforcethat significantly improvessafety as opposed to one whichsimply ticks the necessaryboxes?'.

Keynote speaker at the con-ference will be Lord DouglasCullen, one of the senior mem-bers of the Scottish judiciary.From 1988 to 1990 he con-ducted the public enquiry into

the Piper Alpha disaster andmany other such enquiries.Lord Cullen will provide insightinto common threads whichemerge in major incidents.

www.opito-oscc.com

Subsea 2012February 8 – 9AberdeenWith the recent challenges in

the global economic climate,the subsea industry has stillbeen able to perform well. Howhas the industry managed to“buck the trend” and whereshould the subsea industry belooking to for areas of futureopportunity? Speakers willpresent on a range of issues in-cluding marine constructionvessels; offshore renewables;

AUV technology and safetyperformance.

www.subseauk.com

Oceanology Interna-tional 2012March 13 -15, 2012ExCeL LondonThe global forum where indus-try, academia and governmentshare knowledge and connectwith the marine technologyand ocean science communitywith the aim of improvingtheir strategies for measuring,exploiting, protecting and op-erating in the world’s oceans.New pavilions include the Re-newableUK pavilion highlight-ing exhibitors who have aparticular focus on the offshorerenewable sector; the MarineSecurity pavilion run partner-ship with SMI – this pavilionwill also host SMI and AMSI’sstand and the ADC UK Divepavilion providing opportuni-ties to companies involved incommercial diving. www.oceanologyinternational.com

DO YOU know your gamma fraction meter from your Ram BOPs or howthe future looks rosy for radioactive isotopes and nuclear magnetic reso-nance? If not or you’re unsure, then you might well need a quick, read-able guide to the fundamentals of offshore production. If so, then thisthird-edition book is an ideal companion.

Within its 320 pages, there are hundreds of photographs, illustrations andmaps adding life and colour to the fascinating, thoroughly researched and readable text.

Offshore Engineering and Production includes every aspect of today’s offshore explorationand production: virtually every element of equipment used and each phase of the procedures,various specifications and relevant regulations, are covered in understandable terms. It shouldbe a permanent part of every engineer's baggage, and it will be as valuable to the experiencedengineer as to the new recruit.

The sector encompasses a considerable number of very specialized and often completelyunrelated disciplines. They can be categorised into three core activities: construction, produc-tion and reservoir engineering. This book has been written, not as a definitive manual, but toprovide the reader with a basic explanation of them all.

Author Angus Mather, ex-Kvaerner Oil and Gas Services and with classification society ex-perience, has aimed his book at thenew recruit to the industry with abasic appreciation of what is a rela-tively complex subject, while at thesame time providing the more experi-enced individual appreciation of activ-ities outside their own particularspecialty.

Title: Offshore Engineering and ProductionCost: £95.00 (Excludes any applicable taxes)Number of Pages: 320ISBN 13: 978-1-905331-98-7 (9781905331987)eBook ISBN 978-1-85609-510-5Published: November 2011www.witherbyseamanship.com

Offshore Engineering and Production

Conferences tackle complex subjectsincluding deploying deepwater spars(Courtesy Shell)

events.qxp:Layout 2 20/9/11 11:26 Page 31

Trelleborg Offshore has re-leased a new diver-

friendly piggyback clampdesigned to improve safety dur-ing installation. Trelleborg de-veloped the clamp at therequest of leading offshore con-struction company, McDer-mott in collaboration withTrelleborg Offshore UAE dis-tributor, Unique MaritimeGroup.

The Trelleborg system in-cludes the use of edge treatedbanding and a new fasteningsystem which eliminates sharpedges, reducing the risk of cutsto the diver. The innovative de-sign, which negates the need topass the band around the car-rier pipe to secure the piggy-back line, reduces handling andimproves installation efficiencyand time, enabling significantcost savings while increasingdiver safety.

Manufactured from ma-rine-grade polypropylene, thepiggyback saddle can fit carrierpipelines from 20" – 42" andline sizes from 1.25" to 3.5".The one-size-fits-all design ofthe clamp can streamline pur-chasing, enabling zero-wastebulk ordering.

www.trelleborg.com

NewProducts Clamp for diver safety

Paradigm Oilfield Serviceshas launched its Raptor

range of tools in response to anindustry need for drillingequipment that delivers im-proved rate of penetration(ROP) in high angle and hori-zontal wells, said the company.

Under the new Raptorbrand, the Aberdeenshire-based company show-cased three bespoke new toolsdeveloped by its team of designengineers at Offshore Europe2011 in Aberdeen.

The Raptor Reamer oper-ates on the industry standard'drop-ball' to activate method.The fully supported cam-arm

expansion method and fail safeclosure mechanism give reli-able performance and peace ofmind. The ability to ream andback-reamg i v e smaxi-

mum operational flexibility.Fraser Innes, chairman of

Paradigm Oilfield Services,said: "Wells are becoming more

complex and challenging asoperators look to

maximize the potential of ex-isting reserves and exploremore unconventional sourcesand these new tools are de-signed to increase the rate ofpenetration to achieve greaterefficiencies.”

www.paradigmoilfield.com

Raptor hole opener


Trelleborg’s new safety clamp

Paradigm launches Raptor drilling range

prods.qxp:Layout 2 20/9/11 15:23 Page 32


Viking Life-Saving Equip-ment has developed a new

high capacity evacuation sys-tem for ship-shaped offshoreinstallations. Designed to auto-mate a key aspect of the disem-barkation procedure, theVENOC system has also beendeveloped to simplify installa-tion and maintenance, and tospeed up the transfer of evac-uees to life rafts, even in heavyseas.

Current evacuation proce-dures that involve high capac-ity life rafts require a memberof the crew to descend the es-

cape chute before passengerscan disembark, in order to trig-ger the inflation of the first liferaft. They also involve an in-termediary loading platform,used by evacuees to transferfrom the chute to the life raft.Both procedures slow downevacuation.

The VENOC system is anactive chute and life raft de-signed to evacuate up to 100people from installationheights of 15m, 30m or 45m.Where competing chute-based systems use bowsingwire connections to the ship’s

side to maintain stability,Viking has identified this so-lution as problematic, partic-ularly as vessel widthsincrease.

The approach adoptedwith VENOC is to dispensewith bowsing lines and insteadattach a stabiliser weight, sus-pended from the bottom of thechute. The result is that thechute itself is neutral, evenwhen the vessel is in extremetrim and list conditions. Thesolution has undergone fullheavy sea weather trials in theNorth Sea.

Housed in a container ofapproximately 3300mm x2500mm x 2500mm on theopen deck or between decks,on launch the VENOC systemuses an electrical winch tolower the chute, a buoyancydevice and a deflated self-right-ing life raft in a speed con-trolled manner. On contactwith the water, the life raft in-flates automatically, negatingthe need for any member ofpersonnel to enter the equip-ment before it is fully func-tional.

www.viking-life.com

VENOC chutes for higher level

Electric-driven station

ContiTech Beattie, the num-ber one seller of high pres-

sure hoses to the North Sea oiland gas sector, has launchedthe latest extension to its prod-uct range at Offshore Europe2011.

The new electric-drivenstation complements Con-tiTech Beattie’s existing sys-tems, which are powered witheither hydraulics or pneumat-ics.

Shahid Qamar, sales andmarketing manager at Con-tiTech Beattie, which is basedin Ashington, Northumber-land and Aberdeen, said: “Welistened to our clients and as a

result of what they told us, theelectric-driven hose loadingstation was developed to givecustomers a greater choice.

“ContiTech Beattie’s hoseloading stations are already inuse around the world, installedon FPSO’s, Platforms andRigs,including the North Seamarket, and by adding an addi-tional option to the range weare convinced that we canbuild upon that success.

www.contitechbeattie.co.uk

Oilfield services companyExpro has launched a

service to provide subsea oper-ators with a firsthand view ofsome of their most critical un-derwater assets. The serviceuses Expro’s Multi-FingerCaliper and ViewMax DownHole Camera systems to pro-vide images and data to viewand monitor the integrity of

BOPs, casing and risers.“Now more than ever the

integrity of marine risers andBOPs is top-of-mind for subseaasset operators,” said GeoffMagie, VP North America Off-shore Region, Expro.

“Expro has packaged someof its most successful wirelineintervention technologies toprovide a robust BOP/riser in-

spection service that can pro-vide unprecedented visibilityinto the integrity of the assets.This visibility equates to peaceof mind for our subsea cus-tomers,” he said.

The first component of theBOP/riser inspection service,the Expro Multi-Finger Caliper,can provide data to accuratelymonitor the integrity of casing

or marine risers in varying sizesin diameter. It is the onlycaliper on the market with fullymechanical, simultaneous, in-dependent and continuousreadings from all of the feelers.The Multi-Finger Caliper alsoincludes applications for defor-mation analysis, casing wear,and corrosion assessment.

www.exprogroup.com

Expro BOP/riser inspection service

Shahid Qamar, sales andmarketing manager withLord Provost of Aberdeen

prods.qxp:Layout 2 20/9/11 15:23 Page 33

Many of theworld’s off-shore plat-forms, floating

production and other systemsaround the world, many ofwhich were located in areaswith high seismic hazard.

While structural design ofthe platform might be ade-quate from a seismic-resistantdesign viewpoint, there aremultiple critical processes as-sociated with the productionactivities on the platform thatare sensitive to the strongground shaking. Potentialdowntime is extremely expen-sive and associated environ-mental costs high.

Is there a way to minimizethe risks to the criticalprocesses running on the off-shore platform that are relatedto earthquakes?

Fortunately a technologynow exists that, in the event ofan earthquake of a magnitudegreat enough to cause damageto processing equipment, canprovide operators with

enough time to bring equip-ment to rest before the onsetof the seismic event. In thisway, the forces due to the ac-celerations associated with theearthquake do not combinewith the normal operatingloads to cause irreparabledamage to the equipment.

The technology that pro-vides the advice warning of animpending earthquake is theEarthquake Early WarningSystem (EEWS) developed byWeir-Jones Engineering Con-sultants Ltd. of Vancouver,Canada.

Real time detectionEEWS monitors ground mo-tion in real time to detect thepresence of P-wave signaturesof a remote strong earthquake.The equipment consists of a setof triaxial vibration sensors.Mechanical vibration is con-verted into a fluctuating volt-age signal that is digitizedusing 24-bit analogue-to-digital converter. Multi-chan-nel data streams are merged bythe data acquisition equipmentand sent to the central process-ing computer. Time synchro-nization is achieved using theGPS technology. The centralcomputer runs the seismic de-tection and proprietary classi-fication software, whichcontinuously analyzes datastreams and triggers only whena set of multiple criteria is met.

These features enhance thereliability of the hardware/soft-ware system and guarantee ac-curacy of the issued alarms.Due to the multiple redundan-cies built into the system, a fail-ure of individual componentshas no effect on the overall per-formance. For example, if a

subset of the sensors fails, thesoftware parameters will be ad-justed to work with the re-maining ones. Onlyhigh-reliability componentswere used to build the system,which has been operating con-tinuously for two years with-out a failure or a false alarm.

The output of the EEWS isa binary signal, i.e. yes/no, re-porting the absence or pres-ence of a precursor of thestrong ground motion associ-ated with the S-waves. If theearly warning system reportsa positive state, meaning a tar-get P-wave is detected, thecentral computer will generatea visual and audio alarm, andwill close the electric circuitconnected to the externalalarm sub-system. This au-tonomous decision-makingtakes less than a second.

Reducing riskThe ultimate success of EEWSis measured in terms of reduc-ing the risk to human lives andvaluable assets due to seismichazard. The benefits are obvi-ous: it provides an early warn-ing in terms of a few seconds toup to dozens of seconds allow-ing operators to stop criticalprocesses; it informs peopleabout the coming destructiveground shaking; it reduces po-tential damage to vulnerablecomponents and sub-systemsand it records the strong vibra-tion for further post-processingand engineering investigations.

In our experience, the costof the EEWS is a small fractionof the damages that might re-sult from a severe earthquakein the oil and gas sector, in-cluding offshore facilities.

www.weir-jones.com

Earthquake Early warning


Canadiancompany’searthquake earlywarning systemdesigned foroffshore facilities,write Iain Weir-Jones and AntonZaicenco of Weir-JonesEngineeringConsultants Ltd

Landside testing of earlywarning systems

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Mind the Gap

Anecdotal evidencehas suggested forsome time that thesheer quantity and

variety of information involvedin plant operational safety has it-self become a problem, not a so-lution. To better understand thehealth & safety issues that ourcustomers’ struggle with on adaily basis, AVEVA commis-sioned research by the AberdeenBusiness School at Robert Gor-don University (RGU). Improv-ing information managementplays a key role in meetinghealth & safety requirements forthe Oil & Gas industry and webelieve that the research fromRGU contributes to this impor-tant debate. Among the moresurprising findings were:

40% of industry profes-sionals find it hard to ac-cess safety informationIn an emergency, peopletend to rely more on infor-mation from colleaguesand the internet than fromtheir own information sys-tems

The findingsThe research report is entitled‘The Health & Safety Informa-tion Gap’, which aptly de-scribes the core of the problem.The gap exists between infor-mation and the people whoneed to use it.

Almost all those surveyed(92%) claimed to have an in-formation system in their or-ganisation to support Health &Safety (H&S), but deeperanalysis revealed serious short-comings, either in the systemsthemselves or in the ability touse them effectively. Over 30%had never been trained to ac-cess safety information, over

40% found it difficult to searchfor relevant information, andaround 25% listed specificproblems including:

Systems failuresInadequate proceduresOverly complex systemsRestricted access

One respondent summedup their frustration: “…there’stoo much information; we’vegot to condense all of this stuffdown and find some way ofproviding a management sys-tem where you can put in a fewkey words, like ‘permit towork’ and it will show you allthese relevant things.”

Often, issues identified asdeficiencies in skills or knowl-edge – not knowing where tofind information, not closingout tasks by updating records,vfor example – can be relatedto deficiencies in the informa-tion systems. If these were tobe intuitive and effective, userswould need less training andbe more willing to use them.

Information sharing wasidentified as an important areafor improvement. Interestingly,while most respondents be-lieved that they themselvesshared information, 24% feltthat information was not beingshared with them, and 45%were aware of information notbeing shared with others.

Finding informationNothing highlights problems soclearly as an emergency. Whendealing with an incident, peo-ple commonly turn to informalinformation sources, such ascolleagues and the internet,rather than their informationsystem. So even where infor-mation systems exist, few seem

prepared to rely on them in anemergency.

The way forwardIt’s always reassuring to beproved right and this researchhas confirmed the need for farmore powerful, accessible anddependable information man-agement systems than are com-monly still used. H&S is justthe tip of the iceberg; effectiveinformation systems can im-prove H&S by enabling moreefficient performance in all as-pects of plant operation.

Technologies available nowaddress the underlying issuesidentified in this research:

Information integration –the breaking down of iso-lated ‘silos’ of incompati-ble informationAccessibility – the provisionof highly intuitive methodsfor navigating, s ea rc h i n gand aggregating informationfor the user’s immediateneeds, wherever re-quired across an entire siteDependability – ensuringthat information is validand complete by automatically verifyingcross-references, highlight-ing inconsistencies, and controlling workflows

Fulfilling these enables theimprovement of many of thepeople-related issues: training,knowledge, information shar-ing, and so on. The challengenow is less in solving the tech-nical problems, but in raisingawareness of the considerablebusiness value which today’sinformation management tech-nologies can deliver.www.acteon.com


Spotlight

Clive Wilby,PrincipalConsultant,AVEVA, looks atthe latestresearch into the‘information gap’in plantoperations

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Offshore Technology -- October 2011

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