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August 2011
Technology North Sea The challenge of decommissioning
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FPSOs Deepwell pumping
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IMarEST Arctic Shipping and Offshore Technology Forum 2011 Overcoming the technical challenges and developing a safe and profitable environment Arctic Shipping Technology – Wednesday 5 October 2011 Arctic Offshore and Energy Technology – Thursday 6 October 2011 Central London
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Day One Keynote: Prospects for safe shipping in harsh environments
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Designing for ice navigation
Minimising the environmental footprint of Arctic exploitation
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Podded propulsion in ice
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Drilling in the Arctic post Macondo
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Victor Santos-Pedro, Transport Canada
Safety studies for FPSOs in the Arctic
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Morten Mejlænder-Larsen, Det Norske Veritas AS
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Technology 4 News
27 ROV
TGS in ice search; Subsea fast track; ExxonMobil back in GoM deepwater; ITF gets Houston base; Solstad returns for further conversion work; Barents border deal
Saab Seaeye is increasingly incorporating the Internet into its technology, particularly for communication and control
6 North Sea Oil companies and contractors are planning to spend billions of dollars decommissioning obsolete infrastructure. It’s a complex business
14 New Vessels Swire Pacific picks a Havyard design for its new AHTS, while Boskalis-Smit backs an OSD design for a cable layer
17 Safety Effective scaffolding is a crucial part of ensuring an asset’s integrity throughout its life. Here, RBG discuss the skills needed for safe operation
18 Water Treatment Disposing of waste water from remote locations requires specialist equipment and planning, and can have a profound impact on operations, writes Severn Trent De Nora
28 Remote Comms For those tasked with controlling offshore communications managing compression is key
30 Drillships The market for ultra deepwater drillships is entering a new, positive phase with international demand seeing orders at Asian shipyards rising
Electric deepwell pumps lift FPSOs; Aker wins in Brazil; Guara working with Japanese on pre-salt in Brazil;, BW Offshore adopts psychometric tool
26 Seismic Fugro Galaxy delivered and has gas and windpower in its sights
EDITORIAL PANEL The vitality of any magazine depends on there being a twoway conversation between the people who produce it and the audience it hopes to please. In order to strengthen that relationship Offshore Technology has invited an informal editorial advisory panel of industry experts. Recently recruited to the role, their guidance and industry knowledge is warmly welcomed. While the panel's input will be invaluable, we still welcome comments, suggestions and story proposals from all our readers and encourage you to write to the editor at bruce.mcmichael@imarest.org
32 Renewables Plugging Europe’s energy gap with renewable energy is critical, says Alexander Hill of UKbased Critical Software
Alistair Birnie Chief Executive, Subsea UK Aberdeen, UK www.subseauk.org
34 Events Key exhibitions and conferences for your diary including Offshore Europe; a joint IMarEST/SUT series of Metocean Awareness courses
Dr Paul Jukes President of MCS Kenny Houston, Texas www.mcskenny.com
36 New Products Mooring for marginal fields; Flexible piping; Pressure testing, and Wireline kickover
38 Subsea 20 FPSOs
August 2011
Nine of the world’s largest oil companies are working together on joint response for subsea well control incidents
Edward Jones Head of Strategic Services, Operations AMEC, Aberdeen, Scotland www.amec.com
40 Spotlight The role of satellite communications in the oil and gas industry is explored Simon Watts, chief engineer of Hughes Europe
Leen Poldervaart Vice President, Marketing SBM, Monaco www.sbmoffshore.com
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An eventful future ffshore Technology readers looking to see which way the oil and gas industry is heading would do well to look at the speaker line-up and companies exhibiting in the plethora of conferences and exhibitions that populate diaries and calendars of industry people. The upstream oil and gas sector is faced with ‘challenges of enormous scale’ that the global industry must tackle if it is to provide safe, smart and sustainable supplies, while also continuing to explore and develop new territories and frontiers - so says Samir Brikho, chairman of this year’s Offshore Europe (OE) event in Aberdeen. The big events, including Offshore Europe in Aberdeen, Offshore Northern Seas in Norway and OTC in Houston are touchstones for what industry is expecting and planning for – it’s far more effective than searching for a phase such as “what should I plan for in the international oil and gas industry over the next five years”, in Google. Events are the industry’s opportunity to learn, debate and challenge the ideas needed if the industry is to establish a safe, smart and sustainable supply for the future.
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So what does a study of this year’s OE exhibition in the sprawling Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre reveal? This September, the biennial event is tackling a diverse range of topics. Key debates tackle deepwater exploration and how to deal with the costly decommissioning, deepwater exploration, efficient and safe subsea production and working with state oil companies. The conservative-minded International Energy Agency has recently estimated that deepwater oil production will increase from 6% to 9% of the total global offshore figure, adding a forecast 2.8 million barrels/day by 2015. Recent advances have seen deepwater developments brought onstream or currently underway in water depths ranging out towards 3,000 metres (9,843ft), incredible depths, almost unthinkable just a few years ago. This array of statistics has encouraged the organizers to dedicate an entire hall to the technologies and expertise being employed by the deepwater E&P industry. Activity in the zone will include presentations by Petrobras, a world-leader in deep water developments, and which
is leading the way offshore Brazil, where capital expenditure of up to $54 billion is forecast between now and 2015 - the vast majority of that in deepwater pre-salt projects. In this issue of Offshore Technology, we cover many of these issues and more. Special features round up new offshore vessel designs, solutions for FPSO-operators and much more including some of the most advanced subsea, seabed and floating production hardware and expertise being utilised in frontier projects around the world. Brikho, chairman OE 2011, said that recent events had provided a reminder of the importance of health, safety, security and environmental issues in addressing the significant and unique challenges of operations in ever-increasing water depths. He says that if the industry is to provide a safe, smart and sustainable supply, as well as succeed in exploring and developing new territories and frontiers, it must challenge convention, discuss and solve these issues. Bruce McMichael Editor, Offshore Technology bruce.mcmichael@imarest.org
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Offshore Technology August 2011
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Editor’s Letter
Cover Photo: Cutting edge equipment from sat comms to well architecture is vital for effective operations and good working conditions. Pictured, Brunei Champion West, offshore Brunei. (Photo courtesy, Shell)
© Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology (2011). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including photocopying, storing in any medium by electronic means or transmitting) without the written permission of the copyright owner except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under terms of a licence issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, 6-10 Kirby Street, London, England, EC1N 8TS, website: www.cla.co.uk email: licence@cla.co.uk. Applications for the copyright owner's written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publisher.
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ExxonMobil back in GoM deepwater News xxonMobil has announced two major oil discoveries and a gas discovery in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico after drilling the company's first post-moratorium deepwater exploration well.
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The KC919-3 wildcat well confirmed the presence of a second oil accumulation in Keathley Canyon block 919. The well encountered more than 475 feet of net oil pay and a minor amount of gas in pre-
Maersk Developer semisubmersible drills ExxonMobil's first postmoratorium deepwater exploration well in the Gulf of Mexico
dominantly Pliocene high-quality sandstone reservoirs. The well, which is continuing to drill deeper, is located 250 miles southwest of New Orleans in approximately 7,000 feet of water. Drilling in early 2010 encountered oil and natural gas at Hadrian North in KC919 and extending into KC918, with over 550 feet of net oil pay and a minor amount of gas in high-quality Pliocene and Upper Miocene sandstone reservoirs. ExxonMobil encountered 200 feet of natural gas pay in Pliocene sandstone reservoirs at its Hadrian South prospect in Keathley Canyon block 964 during drilling in 2009. “We estimate a recoverable resource of more than 700 million barrels of oil equivalent combined in our Keathley Canyon blocks,” said Steve Greenlee, president of ExxonMobil Exploration Company.
ITF gets Houston base TF, the industry technology facilitator for the global oil and gas industry, has today opened a new base in Houston as it plans to create stronger links with the technology development community and increase membership in North America. ITF will be encouraging more proposals for joint industry projects from organizations in North America with up to 100% funding available for innovative oil and gas solutions. It has set a target of investing at least $15 million in technology projects in the region by 2015. A not-for-profit organiza-
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tion, ITF is owned by 26 of the largest operator and oil services companies in the world. They collaborate to fund ground-breaking technology solutions that address global industry challenges. More than $5 million has been distributed to US and Canadian research institutes and companies through ITF so far, with targets to increase joint industry projects by 25% in the next four years and invest $1 million this year alone. Dorothy Burke, Operations Director at ITF said: “Through building links with North America’s leading aca-
Dorothy Burke, Operations Director at ITF
demic institutes and cutting edge technology companies, significant funding can be provided to deliver gamechanging technologies. The collaboration model is proven
to work. 100% funding is available for the right solutions, and developers have direct access to our global membership of 26 major oil and gas companies.” ITF’s new office on Post Oak Boulevard, Houston will provide a strategic meeting point for the team and a full-time in-country manager will be in place next year. The majority of ITF members have a base in Houston, with Marathon Oil the most recent to join from North America. ITF also intends to increase its total membership to 40 organisations by 2015.
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Solstad returns for further conversion work orway’s Solstad Offshore has returned to Gibdock for the conversion and dry-docking of the 84m long, 4500 dwt platform support vessel Normand Vester. This follows on from the conversion of the Normand Trym and Normand Vibran at the Gibraltar yard, successfully completed for the same owner last year. While the Normand Vester project is similar in scope to these earlier conversions, there are some differences. In this case the fresh
Normand Vester in Gibdock
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water capacity is being increased by converting two of the stability tanks from water ballast to fresh water, while eight mud tanks are being converted for increased fuel oil capacity. Furthermore two wing tanks are being converted to void spaces due to the conversion of the stability tanks. This work is necessary
to prepare the vessel for a new role, under a four year charter that Solstad has recently agreed with Petrobras of Brazil. This contract requires that the vessel is able to supply offshore units with 1,600m 3 of potable water and 1,600m 3 of fuel oil. Malcolm Rosie, technical director, Solstad Offshore
Barents border deal ussia and Norway have agreed a deal to divide up their shares of the Barents Sea. The deal follows many years of talks between the two sides over ownership and management of the region. The accord will allow companies to explore for oil and gas in the 68,000 square mile area. “With this treaty, Norway and Russia are also making it clear that there is no ongoing
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race for resources in the Arctic, but that we – as responsible Arctic coastal states – are adhering to international law, including the international law of the sea,” said Norwegian foreign minister Jonas Gahr Støre. EDIT It splits the disputed part of the Barents Sea into two equally sized areas. The region has become more accessible recently as global warming has caused the
ice to melt. Melting ice opens up the possibility of new, shorter, shipping routes between Russia and Norway and Asia. State oil companies from both countries have expressed an interest in exploiting reserves in the region. Russian owned Gazprom is already working with Norway's Statoil on the Shtokman field, 310 miles off the Russian coast.
Subsea fast track tatoil has awarded Subsea 7 a contract for marine installations and pipe-laying to help develop the Fossekall/Dompap discoveries off the coast of Helgeland, northern Norway. The contract value is around NOK 970 million without options and extra charges due to the weather. Discovered in early 2010, Fossekall will also make it possible to develop the earlier find
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Dompap, said the company. This is Statoil’s fifth fasttrack development and the largest so far. “With all of the contracts awarded, we can already start production at the end of 2012. We’re very happy about this,” says Ivar Aasheim, Statoil’s head of field development on the Norwegian continental shelf. Statoil considers it vital to reduce the time from initial
Offshore Technology August 2011
discovery to production. “We are about to reach this goal,” says Aasheim. “This development will only take two and a half years, and thereby meets the fast-track principles.” The Fossekall/Dompap development will comprise three subsea templates tied back to the Norne ship in the Norwegian Sea. The distance from the field to the Norne ship is around 26 km.
(UK) says: “Gibdock was chosen to carry out this work as they offered a very positive attitude to the project, were in a good location en route to Brazil and offered competitive rates.” Gibdock also delivered the Vibran and Trym conversions in 2010.
TGS in ice search eismic survey group TGS has started a multi-client 3D seismic data in the Hoop Fault Complex area of the Barents Sea, north of Norway. This survey is an extension of the previously announced Hoop Fault Complex survey and will add 1,800 km2 to the existing data in the area. Approximately 500 km2 of the survey are infill in the northern area of the 2009 survey and the remaining 1,300 km2 are an extension to the east of the 2009 survey area. Blocks have been awarded in the survey area during the last two rounds and with the 2011 acquisition, TGS will be able to provide extended coverage for future rounds, says the company. The M/V Polar Duke towing 10 x 6,000 m streamers with 75 m separation will acquire the 2011 survey. Data processing will be performed by TGS and will be available to clients in late 2011. The survey is supported by industry funding.
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Against the backdrop of dwindling oil and gas production from the UK Continental Shelf, tax increases and the costs of decommissioning ageing infrastructure estimated at over ÂŁ30 billion, the subject of decommissioning is increasingly concentrating the minds of those involved in the UK oil and gas industry. International law firm Herbert Smith North Sea hosted a seminar to discuss the issues
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Making offshore decommissioning work effectively
rojections indicate that in this decade, ÂŁ9 billion will be spent on decommissioning approximately 280 installations and 940 wells across 144 individual North Sea oil and gas fields, said Brian Nixon, of Decom North Sea, speaking at the seminar. However, any attempt to forecast the actual cost of decommissioning an installation is challenging as the calculation must take multiple variables which are difficult to predict accurately into account, including:
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i) the applicable tax regime, which may change on an annual basis; oil and gas prices, which affect profitability and therefore the economic cut-off date for an installation; ii) the availability of finance and applicable interest rates; and iii) the legislative and regulatory regime, which, if changed, can create instability and affect investment decisions.
Jacket removal for disposal onshore (Courtesy GL Noble Denton)
It is hoped that the costs of decommissioning may be re-
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duced through the use of joint ventures and other collaborative projects, allowing previous learning and best practice to be shared between operators. Such an approach would help to spread investment costs over a number of projects and shared or co-ordinated use of facilities and equipment needed for decommissioning (harbours, heavy lifting vessels and other equipment) could reduce an operator's expenditure.
Decommissioning liability The Government's approach to decommissioning is, in the words of the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, to "speak softly and carry a big stick", said Stephen Murray, Herbert Smith LLP. The key provision is section 29 of the Petroleum Act 1998 (the Act), under which the Secretary of State may serve a notice
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on certain persons requiring a decommissioning programme to be prepared and submitted in respect of specific items of offshore infrastructure. The recipient of the notice is also responsible for implementing the programme once approved. Persons who can be issued with a notice include the operator of the installation and other parties to the joint operating agreement pertaining to the installation, owners of the installation (other than persons with ownership interests as security for a loan) and licensees (where exploration and production activities benefitting such licensees are carried on in the licence area by means of the installation. If there is more than one recipient of a section 29 notice, liability is effectively joint and several. The ability to serve a notice on associated corporate bodies allows the Secretary of State to pierce the corporate
Demanding applications and reliable performance?
veil and gain access to the assets of an entire group. It is not possible to isolate decommissioning liability within a single limited liability company. A section 29 notice can be revoked, for example when a recipient disposes of its interest, but revocation does not release that party from potential liability. As in the famous line from the Eagles' song "Hotel California", it seems that "you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave" under section 34 of the Act, anyone who is, or at any time since the first section 29 notice was issued, has been, within the category of persons that could have been issued with a section 29 notice can potentially be held liable. However, to date DECC has never exercised its powers under section 34 and views them as a last resort. Where the Secretary of State is not satisfied that a person liable for decommissioning
will be capable of carrying out the decommissioning programme, he may issue a notice under section 38 of the Act requiring the recipient to take the action specified in the notice. There are no express limits on the scope of the actions that can be stipulated in a notice. DECC has indicated that this could include the provision of security for decommissioning obligations, but has not ruled out taking other action as well. DECC’s policy is not to use its power under section 38 of the Act if decommissioning security agreements that meet DECC’s requirements are already in place. DECC and Oil & Gas UK have collaborated to develop a model form decommissioning security agreement, but the model form does not prescribe solutions to a number of key commercial issues which are left to the parties to negotiate. The Secretary of State's
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Offshore Technology August 2011
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North Sea
draconian powers under the Act reflect the Government's determination to ensure that taxpayers do not foot the ÂŁ30 billion plus decommissioning bill. At the same time, DECC has pursued a policy of reassuring the industry that its harshest powers will only be used as a last resort and that its primary objective is to work with the industry to ensure that the credit risk of section 29 notice holders is actively managed and appropriate security arrangements are in place. Despite DECC's reassurances, decommissioning security has already become a major stumbling block in upstream M&A transactions as sellers seek protection from future exposure to decommissioning liability. Consequently there is a risk that the regulatory regime's overriding objective of seeking bullet-proof protection from tax payer liability will end up deterring future investment and associated tax revenues.
A financier's perspective As oil and gas fields approach the end of their economic life, and oil and gas majors depart from the region, decommissioning costs are becoming a greater factor in the investment decisions of small to medium-sized oil and gas companies operating in the UK
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Internal pile cutter, stabilising arms and cutter extended in action (Courtesy GL Noble Denton)
North Sea, said Charlie Houston, Lloyds Banking Group. Liability for the costs of decommissioning lies with all the field partners on a joint and several basis. Management of this however usually resides with the operator and is controlled through the Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) which sets out requirements for decommissioning security. Such security is typically provided in the form of cash, a parental
company guarantee or a bank letter of credit (LC). LCs have been the most common form of security as they benefit from a bank’s credit rating (typically required to be a minimum of AA/Aa2) and do not lock up cash which can otherwise be used for investments. However, since the financial crisis intra-lender credit worthiness has started to cause complexities within LC funding structures. Decommissioning is also increasingly influential when considering funding of mergers and acquisitions. A prospective purchaser may be required to indemnify and provide security to the vendor for decommissioning obligations that may arise through section 29 of the Act, creating the requirement of funding "double security". One possible solution to this problem is the parties entering into the template Decommissioning Security Agreement, which allows all parties to benefit from a single source of security thus mitigating the need for over collateralisation. However these have not yet been taken up due to the difficulties in negotiating with multiple parties, some which may have long since exited the JOA. Given the lack of decommissioning experience within the industry, Government support through holistic legislative and regulatory stability is essential. As decommissioning shifts from being a long-term to a medium or even shortterm consideration, it will feature more prominently in investment decisions, potentially locking in cash that could be invested in enhancing recovery thereby prolonging field life. More collaboration and commitment is required from the industry and regulators to ensure that the costs of decommissioning do not cut short the North Sea's economic shelf life.
August 2011 Offshore Technology
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North Sea Decommissioning of offshore structures: aspects and options for their removal, by Professor William Penney, Marine Consultant
Ampellmann selfstabilising platform reaches out to a decommissioned unit (Courtesy GL Noble Denton)
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Balancing HSE with cost and law t is appears that at last the rate of platform removal from the North Sea may be gathering pace. Several larger structures have already been removed and there is the prospect of new marine equipment being brought into service for the removal of structures very much bigger than currently. A lecture given to IMarEST’s Young Members Group on 3rd March highlighted some of the technical options and tasks ahead.
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Legislation The legal framework for decommissioning work is now
well established, that under OSPAR Decision 98/3 structures must be removed when they have ceased to produce oil or gas, unless alternative usage can be found and implemented. Arrangements must be agreed with the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change using their Guidance Notes (January 2010). Safety issues must be accepted by the Health and Safety Executive with the submission of a formal Safety Case. Certain structures such as concrete and the footings or ‘bottles’ of the very largest steel jackets may be allowed to remain in place (derogation), though the IMO requirement allowing 100m clear water above any material remains is seen as much less stringent.
Environmental Issues The overall objective must be to try and return the seabed to its original condition and then ensure through regular monitoring that this continues. Due to seabed movements redundant pipelines can become exposed and create a hazard to fishing nets. For the removal operation itself, the greatest hindrance to progress is from the sea and the weather. Installations may have survived twenty five years of storms, but now the marine craft used for lifting and transportation, and their crews, must be capable of working under hostile marine conditions. Work must be planned to ensure that at delicate stages a
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regular weather forecast allows sufficient ‘weather window’ to complete the task in hand, or to pause awhile.
Safety At all times the safety and protection of the workforce as the platform size is diminished must be ensured and this is one of the planning features in the HSE Safety Case. The material may be heading for the scrapyard and recycling, but at every stage features may need to be added for safety and access as the platform is deconstructed.
Engineering For many structures, especially those in the northerly and deeper North Sea waters, these cannot be deconstructed and removed in the same manner as when installed. This is partly due to the method of construction and installation, but in the case of removal there is no longer any reward to encourage higher expenditure with the prospect of earlier onstream oil / gas. After sealing the wells and removing toxic materials, the next step will be to sever the topsides in a single unit or in piecemeal parts from the supporting module support frame on top of the jacket. It is vital to ensure that there is complete disconnection before a piece is lifted clear by crane and to this end it may be advisable to clear a swath of material adjacent to the remaining structure. This will also permit some swing of
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the lifted unit due to seastate and wind. Before removing steel jacket structures piecemeal, tubular members will have to be cut using either diamond wiresaw, grit jet or perhaps explosive cutting methods. Tubulars may have a diameter of more than two metres with wall thickness 40mm. After perhaps 40 cuts have been made and a jacket unit checked as completely disconnected, the piece can be lifted aboard a cargo barge for transport ashore. The deconstruction time is minimised if big units can be lifted or even the whole structure lifted as a single piece. If structural units are to be lifted, then adequate means must be provided for attaching slings. Slings may be wrapped around existing structure, but to lift topsides units new padeyes may need to welded to perhaps corroded material and of course tested for adequate strength. It is vital that sufficient crane capacity is available for all the desired outreaches, with some tolerances for ‘unexpectations’.
Marine Warranty
A jacket led cutter travel clamp in action (Courtesy GL Noble Denton)
A review of decommissioning procedures, documentation and calculations with an eye to safety and issue of formal Review Notes is no different from those prepared during installation. Site attendance will follow with further issue of Certificates of Approval once
previously agreed procedures and precautions are seen to be in place so enabling an operation to commence. Basically this is common sense with cooperation on all sides.
Craft and prospective craft The principal choice for lifting structures lies between the crane ship and the semisubmersible crane barge with a factor of about three on lifting capacity. In deep and hostile waters the barge will undoubtedly be preferred, but at a much higher daily rate though less dependent weather performance. Crane upreach and outreach are also superior and the barge may also be used for cargo to carry deconstructed units ashore. In relatively sheltered waters there is an additional option of using a dumb sheer legs with tug support: a cargo barge can be dispensed with if the load can be taken ashore while hanging from the hook and suitably tied back to prevent pendulation. Then reflotation buoyancy devices should not be discarded, though at present these have not been tried or a major scale. Very large new floating equipment is now on the horizon with Allsea’s catamarantype Pieter Schelte. Other expensive proposals have been published over the years, but coupled with the technology is the question of who will sponsor the huge cost and back it with guaranteed work.
Case Studies There is no standard method for removing offshore platform structures, as indeed many different types of structures have evolved over the 40 years that have passed since the first small structures were installed in shallow 30m waters of the North Sea. Those structures can be readily lifted out by a simple crane ship. In deeper more exposed waters the
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choice may shift to the semisubmersible as was used for removing the large North West Hutton jacket, but under good weather conditions the monohull barge may be a cheaper option as demonstrated at the Odin field. The classic removal scenario and one that had a considerable impact on the decommissioning business was the Brent Spar. Shell had government approval to tow and sink at the edge of the Atlantic Continental Shelf, but the Company changed its plans following activists’ actions. The lesson for the oil industry was to ensure public dialogue and perhaps debate, and that was the decision followed by Phillips in preparation for refloating and removal to shore of its Maureen Platform.
Conclusion There are still more than 250 structures to be removed from UK waters, and an indeterminate number around the world. Though many overseas structures may be left in place, there will be a substantial quantity of marine work and associated planning to be undertaken. The market size is variably estimated to be in tens of billions of pounds whatever methodology and equipment becomes available. High decommissioning costs, for no tangible reward, are leading to the development of new and perhaps cheaper methodology. Reuse of structures into wind farms is possible despite distant location from shore. Successful decommissioning is a balance between Legislation, Safety, Cost and Environment, and any weighted formula linking these issues will undoubtedly change with time and circumstance. This article is based on a talk given at London Headquarters to the IMarEST Young Members Group 3rd March 2011
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New vessels The global offshore support vessel sector is booming. Here we look at two new designs making their mark
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Swire Pacific picks Havyard AHTS design An artist’s impression of the Havyard 844
wire Pacific Offshore has ordered four AHTS of a Havyard 844 XL design at the Singapore Technologies Marine (ST Marine) shipyard in Singapore. ST Marine says that the shipbuilding contract is worth around SGD 171m ($137.5m). The first ship is scheduled for delivery during the first half of 2013 and the last vessel during the first half of 2014. This is the second series of vessels that Swire will build using Havyard design and these Havyard 844 XL AHTSs are sister ships of the four corresponding ships being constructed at Drydocks World-Singapore. The first vessel of this series will be delivered during the first half of
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2012. The contract value of the design package between the parties is confidential. Swire Pacific Offshore is one of the leading operators of offshore vessels in the world. They are based in Singapore and operate much of their fleet in Asia and Australia, but engage in activity in most parts of the world where there is offshore oil exploration. Swire Pacific Offshore has a fleet of 77 offshore vessels today and a further 17 newbuilds being
constructed. The majority of this fleet is AHTSs and they are on average less than 9 years old. The shipping company focuses on offering high quality support services for the offshore oil industry through a fleet of modern, environmentally friendly and efficient offshore vessels. Havyard 844 XL AHTS is developed by Havyard Design & Engineering in close cooperation with Swire Pacific Offshore.
Main particulars: Havyard 844 XL Loa: Breadth: Bollard pull: Deck area: Speed: Accommodation:
92 m 22 m Minimum 200 tonnes 650 m2 17 knots 37 persons
August 2011 Offshore Technology
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New vessels
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OSD design for Boskalis-SMIT
A graphic of the OSD Cable Layer concept
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SD-IMT, the UK arm of Ijmuiden, Netherlandsbased Offshore Ship Designers, has been selected by Samsung and Boskalis-SMIT Engineering to develop the basic design, detailed design and production drawings for a 99 m cable-laying vessel. Neil Patterson, managing director of OSD-IMT, says, “It is a unique new vessel and we will carry out the model testing programme, noise and vibration analysis and impact and damaged stability analysis in addition to developing the design.� The vessel combines a large, obstruction free main deck with ample accommodation facilities, allowing for
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multiple future configuration possibilities. In the current cable-laying configuration, the deck has a cable loading capacity of 5,000 tonnes. Under a separate contract OSD-IMT has been tasked by Dales Engineering Ltd, Aberdeen to design and develop the upgrade conversion production drawings for the Farstad-owned UT 755 multi-role 67 m PSV FAR SCOTIA. The new design will provide upgraded existing and new additional accommodation, ROV equipment and associated seating, new A-frame and associated winches/seating, new deck cranes and associated column/stiffening, new workboat and associated davit and seating.
August 2011 Offshore Technology
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Scaffold system aimed at safety boost BG, the Aberdeenbased international services company, carried out a fundamental review of scaffold systems with a view to developing a more sophisticated alternative which would mitigate risk and improve safety, whilst simultaneously reducing operating costs and optimising productivity. As part of this review, the company consulted Turner Access – scaffold material manufacturer and supplier to RBG for the last five years who presented several new scaffold concepts. Following a period of development and refinement to suit the offshore environment, both companies developed a bespoke guard rail system which met the operational requirements of the offshore oil and gas industry. Named PlusGard, the system improves offshore scaffold safety and reduces the associated operating costs.
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Innovation
By Bill Abbott, RBG, group scaffold manager securely advanced to the next level. Positioned in advance of the scaffolder, it facilitates an upper perimeter railing allowing for safer access. The system also provides a semi-permanent railing structure, which remains in place until the scaffolder attaches the upper level rails and works in conjunction with existing structures offshore.
Bottom-line benefits PlusGard is the first system of its kind to be used offshore, addressing all the requirements of the 2005 Working at Height regulations, which specifies that collective preventative measures be investigated before implementing any fall arrest equipment. It also enables scaffolders to work more freely, as opposed to inertia wires which restrict movement, providing improved flexibility within the security of an enclosed area.
As opposed to traditional methods, the PlusGard advanced guard rail system is designed to provide increased safety by way of a protective rail around the scaffolder. This is designed to prevent any possible fall whilst allowing the scaffolder to work more freely, significantly improving their working conditions. The PlusGard system allows for safer erection, keeping the scaffolder in a secure enclosure whilst ensuring the scaffold boards and ladder are
Offshore Technology August 2011
The system also significantly reduces the overall project costs as it does not require a stand-by vessel to be on-site, which can lead to savings of up to £6,000 per day. A stand-by vessel is traditionally required during work over the side of an offshore platform to ensure fast recovery if required.
Product in action PlusGard was used to access a cooling water pipe on Apache’s Forties Delta platform in the North Sea. Using the system, RBG worked for six consecutive days without the need for a stand-by vessel. The PlusGard system saved Apache approximately £60,000 in operating costs, mainly due to the stand-by vessel not being required, and the project was completed ahead of schedule. PlusGard reduces the overall project costs
Safety A crucial part of managing the integrity of an asset throughout its lifecycle is the requirement to erect scaffolding at regular intervals in order to carry out tasks from general maintenance to cleaning activities. With more than 8,000 scaffolds in use everyday in the UKCS alone, it is an activity that requires specialist skills and highly trained personnel due to the inherent risks of working at height and offshore. By Bill Abbott, RBG, group scaffold manager
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Water Treatment
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Clean water
(dcasbeer@severntrent
nderstanding the basics of wastewater treatment and how they relate to the overall treatment process is an important first step in evaluating the available sewage treatment technologies. Terms like biological oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), aerobic treatment, and hydraulic loading are often used when discussing wastewater treatment processes. Knowing the theory behind these basic processes of wastewater treatment makes it easier to review the pros and cons of membrane bioreactors, physical/chemical separation, biological treatment and electrolytic treatment systems for sewage treatment.
denora.com)
Black and grey
Knowledge of basic wastewater principles allows customers to choose the correct sewage treatment systems, writes Dana Casbeer, Marine & Offshore Product Line Manager, Severn Trent De Nora
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Wastewater to be treated offshore is typically composed of
A semi-sub, a typical end user for Severn Trent technology
Type
Black Water Per Person per day
Black and Grey Water Combined
Gravity Drain System
98 liters/day (26 gallons/day) 5 liters/day (1.3 gallons/day)
299 liters/day (79 gallons/day) 125 liters/day (33 gallons/day)
Vacuum Collection Method
black and grey water. Black water is sewage such as toilet waste, paper and flushing water. Grey water is other liquid or semi-solid wastes in the soil drain system from the galley, laundry, showers, lavatories or other soil drains. A manufacturer will typically offer equipment based on personnel compliment and hydraulic waste loading ratings. Since per-person waste volumes can vary widely depending on ethnic regions and specific diets, it is always preferable to design and size an offshore sewage treatment system based on daily hydraulic
Table 1
loading. The hydraulic loading - approximate wastewater usage - will vary depending on the collection method used. A vacuum collection method will use lower man rating standards than a gravity drain system. For example, the approximate waste usages for OMNIPURE Series 55 sewage treatment systems manufactured by Severn Trent De Nora are detailed in Table 1. BOD is one of the most commonly measured constituents of wastewater. Wastewater is composed of a variety of inorganic and organic substances; requiring oxygen for the process of breaking large molecules into smaller molecules to eventually form carbon dioxide and water. BOD5 is the most common measure of the amount of biodegradable organic material in sewage. BOD has traditionally been used to measure the effectiveness of the treatment of effluent released from a sewage treatment system into ocean waters. Effluent discharges that are high in BOD can deplete oxygen in receiving waters, causing fish kills and irreversible ecosystem changes.
Cellulose waste TSS found in wastewater are both organic and inorganic in nature. A large percentage of TSS material is found in the
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August 2011 Offshore Technology
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form of cellulose from toilet tissue, stringy cotton fibers and smaller debris from galley wastes or the showering facilities. Cellulose-based TSS material is very difficult to destroy due to its tough cellular nature. As a result, biological treatment and electrolytic treatment systems will have the same amount of solids generated. This is a key point to understand since it directly relates to the methods of solids handling across commercially available sewage treatment systems. Its also worth noting that there is no conventional offshore sewage treatment system that can actually reduce the TSS material to a degree where solids removal is not required. Typical offshore sewage contains 500 mg/l BOD5, coliform of 1.5 to 4 x 109 and suspended solids of 900 mg/l. The IMO MEPC.159(55) effluent discharge standards are noted in Table 2. Aside from electrolytic disinfection sewage treatment systems, most processes are biologically based and degrade sewage through destruction by living microorganisms. Different environments favor the growth of various microorganism populations, which in turn affects the efficiency, end products and thorough treatment of the sewage. Biological environments for wastewater treatment include aerobic and anaerobic conditions; however, most offshore sewage treatment systems utilize some form of aerobic treatment. Aerobic treatment is able to rapidly and completely digest sewage, reducing BOD to low levels. Most aerobic treatment systems provide an artificial surface on which the sewage-digesting bacteria can grow. These surfaces can include membranes, moving and static bed media, bio-balls and more. Effective biological treatment of sewage wastes requires that a colony of microorganisms be
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Jackups move frequently between fields, and so need efficient waste disposal systems
MSD Standards Standard BOD5 (mg/l) Suspended Solids (mg/l) Thermotolerant Coliforms/100 ml COD (mg/l) Residual Chlorine (mg/l) pH Value
Offshore Technology August 2011
Table 2 IMO MEPC.159(55) 25 35 100 125 > 0.5 6.0 - 8.5
Omnipure Series 55, marine sewage treatment system – an effective tool for waste water treatment
maintained in order to properly consume the active fecal coliform bacteria that is present in any raw sewage. To accomplish this in an offshore environment equipment large space is required to accommodate tank volumes to support an active colony. Since electrolytic disinfection treatment systems do not require tanks to support an active colony, their footprint is smaller and weighs less then biological treatment systems. With a firm understanding of the basics of wastewater treatment, oil and gas professionals are better positioned to understand the competitive advantages being presented by sewage treatment system manufacturers. www.severntrentservices.com
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FPSOs FPSOs and Brazil are offering pump specialist Hamworthy new markets with operators tempted by electricallydriven systems
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Electric deepwell pumps lift FPSOs lectrically-driven systems are having an impact on the offshore market, and fluids handling specialist Hamworthy is amongst those companies benefiting when it comes to the electrically-driven cargo pumps it supplies to the specialised floating production storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) sector. In January, the company announced that its electricallydriven deepwell cargo pump technology had been accepted
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in a significant new shipbuilding market, following a breakthrough contract in Brazil. Its cargo pump systems have been specified for eight FPSOs by Brazilian shipyard Engevix Construcões Oceânicas. The equipment will be delivered between 2012 and 2014. Lars Fischer, Hamworthy Svanehøj offshore sales director said, “Ship owners have recognised the benefits of electrically-driven deepwell systems for many years but now
FPSO operators are becoming increasingly convinced.” Earmarked as a strong area for growth by the company, the latest order sees Hamworthy quickly following up on a string of contracts for FPSO delivery into Brazilian waters from overseas shipyards. Earlier this year, Gusto BV specified seawater lift pumps and electric fire pumps from Hamworthy for installation on board the Cidade de Paraty FPSO, initially converted from a VLCC at the Keppel yard,
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Singapore, and due for delivery in 2013 after completion in Brazil. The run of contracts also saw Hamworthy selected to supply cargo pump room systems equipment for the Papa Terra FPSO, for BW Offshore, converted at COSCO Dalian. The latest eight FPSOs, each having the storage capacity of 1,600,000 barrels of oil, are in principle assigned to various field developments in the pre-salt area of Santos Basin. Hamworthy said that, for each FPSO, it would deliver twelve cargo pumps, two slop pumps, two ballast pumps and two emergency pumps, including switchboards and electric motors. Mr Fischer said, “We have built up a reasonable reference list. Now, an increasing number of operators are coming to see the benefits of electricallydriven pumps.” The breakthrough in sup-
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plying electrically-driven FPSO deepwell pumps to feature electric drives came in 2004 when Hamworthy was chosen to supply the cargo handling system for the 900,000-barrel storage capacity FPSO Nganhurra, built by Samsung for the Australian oil company Woodside, which is now operating at the Enfield oilfield in Australia. Among its growing FPSO reference list have been a num-
Hamworthy pump engineers working offshore
a shipset of 12 deepwell pumps for the 750,000 bbl MODEC vessel Stybarrow Venture MV16.
ber of Chinese-built vessels, including the circular type FPSO and Drilling unit from Sevan Marine and several conversions from COSCO. Hamworthy also supplied pumps for a BW Offshore FPSO operation in the Gulf of Mexico as well as
Efficiency studied Hamworthy’s progress in the offshore sector has been built on a study by well-known technology consultancy Deltamarin, which compared the relative cost and performance benefits of electric versus hy-
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FPSOs
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draulic cargo pump arrangements on board a FPSO with a nominal offloading rate of 1 million barrels per day. Deltamarin’s study concluded that, installed on tankers, electric pump systems used energy more efficiently than their hydraulic counterparts, with fuel savings of approximately 23%. The study also concluded that control problems once associated with electrical systems were a thing of the past. “One additional benefit of having frequency converters to control the motor is that they can be programmed to be soft starters,” Delatamarin said. “This means that electric motor and pump can be started from zero speed and gradually increased. This reduces wear and tear of all system component as well as reducing generators ratings onboard
diesel-mechanical ships.” According to Mr Fischer, when comparing electric and hydraulic solutions: “Onboard maintenance is also lower when it comes to the electric system because of the shaft lubrication system used, the fact that the pump house is easily dismantled and cards on converters are easily interchanged.” It was also the case that there are no limits onboard a diesel electric ship to the number of pumps being operated concurrently, whereas the size of power packs limits the number of hydraulic pumps being operated concurrently. Mr Fischer added that concern for the marine environment was also driving the market towards electric drives. “In the operational phase, electric equipment is more environmentally friendly, be-
cause C02 emissions are minimal due to higher efficiency and lower power utilisation and there is no hydraulic oil spillage risk. There are also fewer parts to wear out and the components that do suffer wear and tear are cheaper to replace.”
Continuous development Electrically-driven pumps are also showing themselves to be amenable to further development to meet the requirements of the offshore operators of today and tomorrow. Hamworthy Svanehøj recently launched the first of what will become an entirely new range of combined sea water lift and fire pumps that meet the requirements of the offshore market. The new deepwell seawater lifting pumps and fire
Aker wins in Brazil AKER SOLUTIONS has won two contracts worth NOK120 million ($22m), from CQG Oil & Gas Contractors Inc. and CCI Oil & Gas Contractors Inc., for the supply of Pusnes offloading systems to two FPSOs in the Brazilian market. The offloading systems will be installed on the two FPSOs P-58 and P-62, which are being converted and built for Petrobras. The vessels are spread moored FPSOs, and will use the field proven Pusnes offloading system at both bow and aft ends. These offloading systems include tanker mooring and crude oil transfer components as well as emergency offloading stations. Crude oil from the FPSOs will be loaded on to dedicated dynamic positioned shuttle tankers. Aker Solutions has mooring contracts for the
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In Brief same FPSOs. The Pusnes offloading connects the FPSO via a crude oil hose to the dynamic positioned shuttle tanker's bow loading system. In the event of an emergency, the oil flow can be quickly stopped and the vessels disconnected rapidly and safely. “Aker Solutions' mooring and loading systems have attained a unique position in Brazil. We have signed more than a dozen contracts for various clients in Brazil,” says Leif Haukom, head of Aker Solutions’ mooring and loading systems business. Aker Solutions is also supplying Pusnes mooring systems to P-58 and P-62, under the terms of a contract with Petrobras. Delivery of the offshore loading systems to P-58 and P62 FPSOs is scheduled for late 2011, early 2012.
August 2011 Offshore Technology
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2011-03-09 18:12:58
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FPSOs
refurbishing a Hamworthy pump in Singapore
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pumps ’DWS’ will eventually be available ranging in capacity from 700 m3/hr to 1700 m3/hr and with a differential pressure up to 180 mlc. In the first instance, Hamworthy has developed two new DWS pumps with a capacity of 950 and 1425 m3/hr. “Combined with our existing pump technology we can now deliver sea water lift pumps up to a capacity of 2600 m3/h and meeting API610 requirements,” said Mr Fischer. These pumps are driven by a dry mounted electric motor in explosion-proof execution, through a pipe stack with transmission shaft and cargo lubricated bearings. These pumps are in addition to inline Hamworthy pumps already available for seawater lift and firewater applications. He said that, the pump head had been designed for optimum efficiency using the company´s design experience, computational fluid dynamics and full scale tests. Impellers have been trimmed to provide 15% higher head per flow unit, while the semi-radial design provide a more stable performance curve at higher capacities. After finite element analysis, moulded intermediate chambers had been selected to maximise stiffness, with the re-
Guara deal
In Brief
THREE JAPAN-HEADQUARTERED companies Modec, Mitsu, and Mitsubishi are investing in building and chartering an FPSO, for Guara, a Dutch company belonging to the Brazil-focused BM-S-9 consortium. The FPSO will be delivered offshore Brazil and used to develop the pre-salt region of the Santos Basin, in the BM-S-9 block under concession to the consortium Brazil’s Petrobras, BG E&P-Brasil, and
Repsol Sinopec. Modec is currently converting the VLCC Radiant Jewel into an FPSO, which when complete will be renamed FPSO Cidade de Sao Paulo MV23 and be deployed to the BM-S-9 block off the Brazilian coast, where vast oil reserves lay beneath a layer of rock and salt at a depth of 5,000 meters. The FPSO is scheduled for delivery towards the end of 2012. It will have a 20-year production life.
sult that weight across the new range had been reduced by 30% compared to similarly constructed units featuring welded chambers. Considerable attention has also been given to bearing performance. The use of conical thrust bearings in the upper drive shaft arrangement minimises vibrations. Furthermore the thrust bearing arrangement has been designed with oil circulation for American Petroleum Institute (API) compliance and increased lifespan. The distance between the transmission shaft bearings is in accordance to API610 in order to assure stable operation
under all service conditions. The pump can be delivered either with a labyrinth seal or mechanical seal. The mechanical seal is of the cartridge type and as an option it can be delivered in compliance with API682.
Support system For sea-water lift pumps and fire pumps installed in caissons, Hamworthy Svanehøj can supply its patented inflatable intermediate support system. The support system is developed in order to secure proper installation and support of the pump in the caisson. Mr Fischer said that the new DWS pumps will be available in a wide range of materials, such as AISI 316L, Duplex and Super Duplex. Optionally the pumps can be delivered with strainer, galvanic protection and anti fouling system. The company is also in the process of rolling out a new range of offshore process and cargo pumps (OPCs), which are also API 610 compliant. Featuring an explosion-proof electric motor on deck, oil-lubricated transmission shaft/bearings with oil circulation and filtration, a double mechanical seal with liquidfilled cofferdam, the new range has been specifically designed
August 2011 Offshore Technology
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BW Offshore adopts psychometric tool slo-based BW Offshore, one of the world’s leading operators of floating production and storage offshore (FPSO) vessels, is switching to the new APRO online psychometric testing tool, recently introduced by computer-based training specialist Seagull AS. The company is now using this tool as an integral part of its global recruitment programme, and the online APRO test will be undertaken as standard by all recruits, whatever grade and job function.
O Pump parts are loaded onto an FPSO
to be suitable for liquids containing solids, abrasive liquids or aggressive chemicals. Other significant design features picked out by Mr Fischer included the fact that Hamworthy’s new range of OPCs are capable of at least a 5 % head increase at rated conditions by replacement of the impeller with one of larger diameter. Furthermore, “The wear ring clearance is according to API 610 and designed in such a way that there is no contact between impeller and sta-
tor,” said Mr Fischer. “Wear rings are available in different materials in order to prevent galling, secure a hardness difference of minimum 50 Brinell and low abrasive wear. The thrust bearing is also designed according to API610, oil-lubricated, with a minimum life expectancy of 25,000 hours.” He added, “With our strong focus on the offshore industry, we are fulfilling overall objective to develop a series of sea water lift and fire pumps and OPCs that meet the requirements of API610 and NFPA-20, secure long mean time between repair, and reliable and efficient operation.”
LR to support Maersk FPSOs LLOYD’S REGISTER EMEA has been awarded the global contract to provide Maersk FPSOs with a suite of technical services to assure the reliable operation of its fleet of FPSO units which serves some of the world's biggest offshore fields. The multi-year agreement includes including integrity and inspection management, classification, verification and engineering support -- to help ensure safe and sustainable operations. There is an option to extend beyond the original contract period.
In Brief "This is a very important contract for Lloyd's Register, not least because it offers further evidence of our ability to deliver a wide portfolio of technical services to elite companies in the offshore industry," said Iain Light, Group Energy Director, Lloyd's Register. "We are among very few organisations supporting the offshore industry that has the required global reach and depth of knowledge to deliver such a comprehensive and consistent range of technical support across the world.”
Offshore Technology August 2011
Test, modify Seagull has now upgraded the APRO test process and modified it so that it can be undertaken online. The web-based product, hosted by Seagull on one of its servers, only requires users to have a web browser. APRO comprises seven sub-tests, designed to assess how a candidate perceives, processes and acts on information, essentially measuring speed versus accuracy. The test, which takes about 1.5 hours to complete, has a standardised scoring method which allows results to be quantified and compared with other potential recruits taking the test. Arne K. Jorgensen, Senior Vice President, Global HR Operations for BW Offshore, has had considerable experience of APRO, having previously used the tool in connection with selection of maritime cadets from Russia, Latvia and the Philippines as a representative from the NSA. On taking his present post at BW Offshore in 2006, Mr Jorgensen introduced the manual version of APRO to assess all recruits in the selection process. “APRO has proved to be a valuable tool in the selection process and also in the process of identifying our future leaders,” he says. “The new web-based tool looks better, has more functionality and there are a lot of practical advantages compared with the manual system. Feedback from my HR team has been very positive.”
Recruitment process Over the past five years, APRO has become a central tool in the recruitment process adopted by BW Offshore. Mr Jorgensen explains: “We want to have a long term relationship with our employees and we hope they will stay with us for many years, often rising up the ranks to positions of management. It is important that as a global company we have a standard method that can be applied to all recruits at an early stage to ensure that we recruit the right staff.” He adds: “APRO also helps us quickly determine who we definitely don’t want from a large group of applicants. When you want to reduce a group of 300 down to, say, the five you want to call for interview, APRO is a great tool.” BW Offshore is now in the process of training staff to use the online testing tool. So far five of its HR team members have attended Seagull’s assessor courses in Oslo and Singapore, and more will be trained as time goes on. This one day training seminar for shorebased staff is a vital part of the overall APRO process.
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Seismic
A new seismic vessel has oil and gas and windpower in its sights
From l-r: Phil Meaden, Susan Morse, Klaas Wester and Harald Fassmer
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Fugro Galaxy delivered M/V Fugro Galaxy
eismic group Fugro has taken delivery of its latest newbuild vessel, Fugro Galaxy, the second of the company’s FSSV 65 series of dedicated survey vessels. The vessel was launched to meet challenges posed by the ever more remote and extreme environments of new offshore oil and gas and renewable developments have led to a new standard of survey vessel. FSSV 65 is the design name for a state of the art 65m long Fugro Standard Survey Vessel. Designed to Fugro specifications the specially designed hull form and propulsion system ensures acoustically quiet and economical running at higher than standard survey speeds. Fitted with the latest survey equipment, the FSSV 65’s are the most advanced vessels
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of their type in the world. The first vessel MV Fugro Searcher was commissioned in March 2010 and is also operated by Aberdeen, UK-based Fugro Survey Limited. This vessel has proved to be an extremely capable survey platform; receiving highly complimentary feedback on reliability, comfort and excellent data quality from client’s offshore representatives, said the company. The vessel is designed to carry out the full range of site and route survey tasks to obtain the high resolution data necessary for safe, efficient and costeffective planning, design and engineering activities for the installation of pipelines, platforms, manifolds, wind turbines and other seabed structures. The Galaxy is a multi-tasking DP1 vessel with a permanently mobilised suite of high resolution geophysical and hydrographic survey equipment including Kongsberg EM710 multi-beam, Topas PS 40 parametric sub-bottom profiler and solid digital seismic streamers. Environmental, Geotechnical and ROVSV equipment will be deployed using both stern and
side hydraulic A-frame deployments and handling equipment. The vessel is fully networked to provide plug-and play interconnectivity and has Fugro’s dual DGPS high precision surface positioning and HiPAP acoustic underwater positioning. With the focus on high quality, high-resolution data acquisition, the survey instrumentation and vessel configuration enables the detailed mapping required for safe and cost-effective offshore operations and engineering design. Multiple off-line data processing workstations facilitate quality control analysis and enable onboard reporting. Data can be assembled, analysed and interpreted in a fully integrated way. “The significant investment made in this vessel highlights Fugro’s commitment to the NW European energy sector and our determination to deliver the high quality site investigation service demanded by our clients’ development projects,” said Phil Meaden, Fugro Survey’s managing director, at the formal naming ceremony in Bremen, Germany.
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The thinking iCON aab Seaeye has developed a fresh concept for using remotely controlled ROVs with the focus on using the internet to enhance communication and control. Through a gateway into the heart of the vehicle, users can access diagnostics, software upgrades and system inventory directly over an enabled web interface. Through a gateway into the heart of the vehicle, users can access diagnostics, software upgrades and system inventory directly over an enabled web interface. Called iCON (the intelligent control of nodes), the concept enables each microprocessor (node), to report its unique status to the central control system − and take action if necessary. Such precise and instantaneous feedback means the operator no longer has to make assumptions about the state of the ROV. Essentially, iCON manages three modes: operational, diagnostic and update. In the case of a thruster, for example, the operational mode controls, start, stop, speed and direction; the diagnostic mode gives a health check and allows interrogation of parameters such as power, temperature, hours run and vibration; the update mode allows new control software to be downloaded to the thruster when updates are available and new features are introduced. Should an operator want to add or enhance equipment on board, interfaces have been standardised into a common
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unambiguous format to make the task easier. Also, the introduction of new systems and their successful integration will be speeded-up using development and de-bugging tools built around iCON. Recognising that an ROV works in a hazardous environment, and is likely to suffer a system failure at some time, iCON brings to the ROV a new self-awareness of each device on board that makes it easier to survive the loss of one or more system or component − and keep working. For instance, should a thruster get entangled, iCON instantly recognises a load problem and shuts itself down. At the same time it alerts the rest of the system so that the remaining thrusters automatically compensate for the loss of the compromised thruster and keep the ROV under control. Before iCON, the only warning a pilot had was when the ROV started going round in circles leaving him battling for control and boosting power, unaware of the potential damage being done to the thruster. Now the pilot can concentrate on completing the task in hand before retrieving the ROV. Back on deck, iCON will identify the problem and the repair needed, also what tools are required and the skill level necessary. If required, engineers at Saab Seaeye can remotely interrogate the problem on the ROV wherever it is in the world, directly over the web, and assist the user in diagnostics and repair.
Offshore Technology August 2011
With each device constantly sensing its state of health and instantly reporting back a problem, the operator not only has greater control, but their role is made much easier and simpler. And not only does iCON generate a system failure alert, but will predict it. This is made possible because data is both active and historical, and therefore capable of arriving at a dynamically analytical predictive conclusion. Usage hours on components are tracked, and problems that might be brewing highlighted. Therefore it predicts when and if a device will fail and alerts maintenance crew before a problem occurs, says the company. It means operators are better able to keep a vehicle in operation than would otherwise be possible. Spares management is also improved as remote examination of systems within the ROV by the operator allows him to accurately monitor both equipment and spares inventory through its part numbers and serial numbers.
ROV
The Jaguar is a fully iCON-centred work ROV
Primary Flight Screen provides the pilot feedback on navigation, auto-pilots, primary sub-systems and any critical errors or faults
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Remote Comms
Controlling offshore communications costs – the key is compression, by Sandy Johnson, COO, SatCom Global
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Keep in touch or those operating rigs and offshore vessels in remoter parts of the globe, communication has long been a challenge. The ability to have a conversation or exchange information with colleagues, friends and family has until now been restricted, on the grounds of both cost and lack of communications channels. The need to improve operational efficiency and control the cost of voice and data communications is crucial to stay competitive. In the area of oil and gas, for example, the latest technologies generate huge volumes of data which needs to be transported securely and reliably from individual exploration sites to the head office or
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Sandy Johnson, COO of SatCom Global
Sat comms are vital for remote communications. (Photo courtesy BP)
data centre. Similarly, new crew welfare regulations are putting increased pressure on operators to provide high quality, low cost voice and data communications for employees who are often away from home for long periods of time. However, there is nothing less than a revolution currently taking place in the world of satellite communications. Businesses and their staff operating in distant maritime locations can now benefit from the kind of high quality voice and data communications they have become increasingly used to at head office or at home.
Bandwidth efficiency Optimising communication over the Internet demands a
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solution that can use bandwidth more efficiently and gives users more control over how much data they consume. Our Horizon suite of products provides a best practice example of this – as a highly bandwidth-efficient voice over IP (VoIP) platform specifically designed to meet the challenge of off-shore and other remote areas where there is limited bandwidth available. The key to delivering highly available, reliable and secure communications at an affordable cost is compression. It means that every part of the solution is designed to use as little bandwidth as possible – and consume minimal data. For the first time, eight analogue telephones can be connected for simultaneous calling over a single Internet link. At its heart lies the company’s SmartPacket™ technology, which enables VoIP from only 2kbps – compared to around 8kbps from other G.729 VoIP existing solutions. Horizon is 76% more efficient in network performance. This approach extends to a range of data applications, including compressed email, optimised web-browsing and instant messaging services which are also designed to minimise the volume of data consumed and costs for the user. A desktop app informs users as to how much bandwidth they are using - and the costs incurred – by indicating in real-time the volume of data consumed after each mouseclick on a web page or word spoken in a call. Two other features highlight the value of minimising bandwidth usage. A flexible codec allows the user to choose from three levels of call quality in maintaining the best balance between cost and performance. Unlike traditional VoIP calls, which send the same amount of data in both direc-
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tions irrespective of whether someone is speaking or not, the Horizon solution can detect silence. By sending heartbeats instead of data users can tell that the line has not been dropped. This requires a data rate of just 0.25kbps, compared to the 8kbps of more established G.729 VoIP alternatives. And, as bandwidth is money, this dramatically cuts the cost too.
Offshore Technology August 2011
Horizon Multi VoIP product
Internet connectivity improves the working conditions and quality of life for remote crews (Courtesy Shell)
This is supported by a flexible billing system. All usage, including logging on, is recorded against each user’s PIN, which enables detailed call data records per user rather than per device - so costs to be allocated and billed to an individual user. And as the system supports both prepaid and post-paid billing, it means that staff using pre-pay services for personal communications and post-pay services for business can be easily managed as part of one central account.
Improving crew welfare For employees working in industries such as cargo transportation and oil and gas exploration, the ability to access the Internet and stay in contact with home on a regular basis in this way – by phone, email and instant messaging will dramatically improve the working conditions and the quality of life for the crew working in these remote places. Horizon has now made it entirely affordable for the crew to access these services. And for the employer or bill payer, the visibility and control of communications costs which such tools provide means that they can offer these benefits without the fear of expenditure spiralling out of control, as they look to recruit and retain the best staff. www.satcomglobal.com
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Drillships Demand for ultra-deepwater drillships is entering a new, positive phase with orders at Asian shipyards on the rise
Alf C Thorkildsen, ceo at Seadrill
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Deepsea boom enewed confidence in demand for u l t ra - d e e pwa t e r drillships saw Seadrill exercise an option to build a US$600 million dual derrick at Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea in April, with delivery scheduled for the third quarter 2013. Also enjoying renewed confidence, Norway-based Seadrill has simultaneously secured an extension for a further option agreement to build a further drillship. While it currently has no specific plan to exercise this option, the owner said it “might consider it if the strong underlying trend currently seen in the deep water market continues”. Announcing the latest firm order, Alf C Thorkildsen, chief executive officer of Seadrill Management AS, said: “The decision to add another ultradeepwater newbuild to our modern fleet is based on the recent improvement in market outlook for ultra-deepwater units, with significantly more tender activities.” The latest unit will be similar to drillships already delivered by Samsung to the owner, and to two more under construction, ordered in November 2010. These ships are designed for enhanced water depth capacity, with increased accommodation capacity compared to previous generation drillships. The dynamic positioning ships are capable of operations in water depths up to 12,000 feet, and have a hook load capability of 1,250 tons. “We have had excellent experience with the Samsung
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Seadrill’s West Sirius drilling rig
yard and this design,” said Mr Thorkildsen. Common to all of these ships, and indeed to eight Seadrill semi-submersible drilling rigs from Samsung (2 units delivered), Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (2 units delivered) and Jurong Shipyard Pte (3 units delivered, one under completion), are ABB electrical systems and thrusters. Indeed, ABB’s systems have become a mainstay of this developing market, a fact that the supplier puts down to its commitment to system simplicity, in terms of both installation and operation. The success of the ‘systems simplicity’ strategy is clearly reflected in ABB’s continuing strong relations with South Korea’s leading shipbuilders. Aside from the Seadrill orders, the company has secured a series of other drillship references via Samsung and Daewoo, with fruition due over the coming
two years. As such, it has consolidated its position as the market leader in drillship electrical system supply. In all cases ABB is taking on total electrical system responsibility, system engineering, necessary studies and calculations, in addition to project execution and commissioning. Also buying into the Samsung 12000 design, for example, and featuring ABB technology is Pride, which has ordered one Drillship (+1 Option), with the vessel due delivery in the third quarter of 2013. Again, ABB systems are integral to Samsung’s twin ship order for Queiroz Galvão Óleo e Gás, under construction to the Samsung 10000 design. These ships will be delivered in the third quarter of 2012 and will be operated by Petrobras in Brazilian waters, with electrical equipment due delivery up to the end of the second quarter 2011. While power ratings vary across these projects, common
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Seadrill’s West Capella drillship
to all is ABB’s supply of AMG generators, 11kV UniGear switchboards and 11kV thruster connection panels designed to operate in a radial system, Resibloc distribution transformers, AMI thruster motors including ACS6000 water cooled frequency converters and Q24 pulse Resibloc water cooled transformers. These systems have been specifically designed to recover very fast should either a partial or total black out occur. At DSME, meanwhile, ABB is again taking total system responsibility in a project to deliver a Semi Submersible Drilling Rig to the GVA 7500 design by fourth quarter 2012 to Petroserv, Brazil. Again, where power ratios differ, the delivery will be characterised by AMG Generators 11kV UniGear switchboards, Resibloc distribution transformers, the Q24 pulse Resibloc water cooled transformers and AMI thrusters. Here, though, MNS main distribution switchboards are to be installed as well as the larger ACS800 water cooled frequency converters. ABB is also sustaining its workload in Singapore’s rig sector, where the supplier has orders at Keppel FELS Pte, Ltd to supply systems for two Jack Ups for an Indian Owner, two Jack Ups for Clear Water and one Jack Up for Jasper. Elsewhere, at Jurong Shipyard Pte Ltd, ABB is supplying systems for a Super Jack Up type Gusto
MSC CJ70 for drilling down to 492 ft water depth.
Simplified thinking Over recent years, the company has advised owners to use systems based on marine standard, high quality equipment, imbued with the redundancy that avoids ‘engineering mistakes’ in the design phase and minimises the hidden faults that are difficult to discover in tests. ABB Technology Manager Alf Kåre Ådnanes explained: “We decided to design electrical systems that use industrystandard components adapted to marine requirements and to focus the design on minimizing the risk that a single failure can shut down an entire rig or drillship. Our thinking was that such a design would be easier to install, easier to operate and easier to maintain through the life of the vessel. And operational concerns in drilling rigs’ electrical systems, such as blackout prevention and lean fuel consumption, are better addressed by adapting the performance of industrystandard products and systems, rather than engineering increasingly complex customised solutions”. Jorulf Nergard, Vice President Sales – Floaters, ABB AS, BU Marine & Cranes, added: “In simplifying our offering, we have focused on so supplying systems where the operation and the maintenance becomes easier and more intuitive for personnel.
Offshore Technology August 2011
Seadrill’s West Gemini drillship, built in 2011
“ABB will continue to focus on developing simple but efficient solutions to increase the robustness of our systems,” said Mr Nergard. “One of the areas that has seen more and more focus from operators and owners is to avoid rig black out situations to achieve a safe and fast recovery of the thrusters and drilling system. Although black out is unlikely to happen in a modern drilling rig installation, the conditions and reliable measures to recover must be in place.” Acknowledging the recent scarcity of new shipbuilding orders, Mr Nergard said that system simplicity also had a bearing on costs. “The two main drivers for owners considering new orders at the moment are timely building slots and low prices. New drillship concepts are being developed by the main shipbuilders but the market is currently one for repeat business.”
Chinese opening Reflecting its need to locate production close to growing shipbuilding markets, and to include local content, ABB will open a new factory close to Shanghai this summer to turn out its C and CZ Azipod Thruster units, where Mr Nergard said that simplicity of design had also been a design priority. He said that simplicity was reflected particularly in the thrusters units’ single piece shaft, the fact that there are only three main bearings (one roller type bearing at
each end and the slewing bearing), and it has a electric steering gear solution. The CZ Azipod Thruster, officially launched last year, is reckoned to offer the same performance as comparable conventional thrusters systems while drawing on lower installed power, as well as benefiting from reduced installation costs, and reduced fuel consumption. The last attribute contributed to reduced environmental impact, Mr Nergard emphasised. “ABB's Azipod CZ type has a range of up to 83 tonnes efficient thrust generated from a 4500kW electrical motor power,” said Mr Nergard. “This can be comparable with traditional mechanical thrusters with motor ratings of about 5000kW, generating fuel savings of about 10%, while the ‘green effect’ is even higher in the lower part of the thrusters power range. The range which is used during DP operations, for example, ranging from 0 - 1200kW, can approximately add a further 5% in fuel savings.” The company already had orders in place for 19 thrusters for delivery starting from end of 2011, he said. “This factory is important for us to cover the Asian market, but also the total global market with high quality thrusters,” he said. “And also it is important for ABB as a whole and will enable us to offer very ‘green’ and safe solutions with very low emissions.”
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Plugging Europe’s energy gap ith the UK rapidly heading for blackouts in 2016 (despite warnings from government energy advisors since 2008), when older coal and nuclear stations must be phased out, green energy really needs to start coming into its own. All the more so should the government feel moved to follow Germany’s over-reaction to the Fukushima disaster, declaring an intention to become entirely non-nuclear by 2022 in favour of developing new coal stations and investing in green energy, writes Alexander Hill, UK Energy Business Development, Critical Software. Are green energy companies going to be able to plug this growing energy gap or will we start to see parts of Europe being turned off in five years’ time? All of this remains to be seen, but alternative energy so far has not had an easy ride, with the public opposing giant wind turbines for instance. Governments across Europe are massively subsidising companies managing alternative energy projects, and bearing in mind the impending energy crisis, they are clearly making sound investments without which green energy would not yet be so far advanced. However, it’s no secret that green energy (particularly tidal and wind power) is more expensive to produce than energy from nuclear and fossil fuel powered stations, but it could be made more efficient and streamlined by introducing more up to date
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Alexander Hill, UK Energy Business Development, Critical Software
technologies. Surely if green energy becomes cheaper to produce then more companies will start to realise its business potential and therefore be more willing to invest? One area, vital to the operation of all renewable energy facilities, that seriously needs to be streamlined and improved, is the technology deployed to monitor the structural and component level health of critical equipment, such as offshore wind turbines and rotating blades. This kind of equipment is constantly exposed to the natural elements and isn’t always easily accessible; there’s a clear case for conditionbased maintenance based on continuous, remote structural health data monitoring software that will identify problems quickly. The main issue at the moment is that the renewable energy industry is still very
immature with many firms depending on primitive technological interfaces and software that quite frankly are from the dark ages. There are few systems that warn of potential problems, so that they may be mitigated before they cause any severe disruption. Rather, systems tend to be reactive, alerting a team too late when millions of pounds-worth of damage has already been caused and the systems have failed. Renewable energy infrastructure is as complex as any other system upon which our society depends and a traditional, simplistic approach to monitoring and maintaining the health of critical equipment and software is simply not good enough. Industry leaders must strive towards a standardised monitoring interface to streamline operations, increase maintenance efficiency and boost availability. Looking for help and advice from more mature industry sectors that rely on similar systems, would definitely be beneficial. For instance, the alternative energy sector would learn a lot from the aerospace sector which is at the forefront of monitoring critical systems. Taking a few lessons on structural health monitoring from aerospace engineering will help the alternative energy sector meet its undoubted challenges, tempting more firms to enter what is still an immature sector, and to play their part in helping both the UK and Europe head off the blackouts.
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Events Diary Offshore Europe 2011 September 6 - 8 Aberdeen The upstream oil and gas sector is faced with “challenges of enormous scale” that the global industry must tackle if it is to provide safe, smart and sustainable supplies, while also continuing to explore and develop new territories and frontiers. Samir Brikho, in his role as chairman of the huge biennial SPE Offshore Europe 2011, said that recent events had provided a reminder of the importance of health, safety, security and environmental issues in addressing the significant and unique challenges of operations in ever-increasing water depths. Mr Brikho, who is Chief Executive of AMEC plc, says that the upstream industry is faced with the challenge of overcoming today’s technical and logistical pressures, as well as the new science and knowledge required. He continued: “Of course running through all our activities, onshore and offshore, are Human Factor issues that must be taken into account, in terms of facility design, staffing and operations. If the industry is to provide a safe, smart and sustainable supply, as well as succeed in exploring and developing new territories and frontiers, it must challenge convention and discuss these issues”.
Capex rising
Samir Brikho, chairman of OE 2011
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Global capital expenditure on deepwater projects is forecast to total US $167 billion between now and 2015, confirm-
ing its status as a major platform in the growth strategies of the world’s oil and gas players. The crucial role that this sector now plays in the E&P industry’s future will be reflected at this year’s SPE Offshore Europe exhibition and conference, with the launch of the Deep Water Zone. This will be a brand new area dedicated to the latest state-of-the-art technologies helping the upstream sector advance into one of the world’s most challenging environments. The organisers of SPE Offshore Europe 2011 are dedicating an entire hall to the technologies and expertise being employed by the deepwater E&P industry at this year’s event, which runs from 6-8th September in Aberdeen, the energy capital of Europe.
Deep water zone The OE Deep Water Zone will feature a dedicated technical presentation area where experts will present case studies and participate in panel discussions. This will give attendees the opportunity to learn about some of the very latest developments in the sector, with content programmed by the leading organisations in the field, including the Brasilian Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels Institute (IBP), the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), the Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) and the Eu-
ropean Association of Geoscientists & Engineers (EAGE). This will include presentations by Petrobras, a worldleader in deep water developments, and which is leading the way offshore Brasil, where capital expenditure of up to $54 billion is forecast between now and 2015 - the vast majority of that in deepwater pre-salt projects. There will also be a technical presentation session in the Zone entirely dedicated to deepwater exploration, organised by the EAGE. The biennial conference and exhibition is organised by The Offshore Europe Partnership, a joint venture between Reed Exhibitions Ltd. and the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). www.offshore-europe.co.uk
IMarEST/SUT Metocean Awareness courses The Metocean Awareness Course run by the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) and the Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) is proving invaluable to those working in the offshore oil and gas and marine renewables industries around the globe – more UK and USA dates have now been added to the calendar. The next dates in the cycle are Tuesday 31 May-Thursday 2 June in Aberdeen, Tuesday 6Thursday 8 September in London, and Tuesday 18-Thursday 20 October in Houston, Texas. Registration is now open, with preferential rates for IMarEST and SUT members. www.imarest.org
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Delegates consider a model subsea layout
Offshore Convention Australasia 2011 August 23 – 25, 2011 Perth, Australia Australasia 2011 (OC Australasia 2011) is the 2nd Annual industry conference that focuses on the booming offshore and deep offshore E&P sector in Australasia Region. OC Australasia 2011 will be among the most important events that addresses opportunities that emerging from offshore market place in Australia, New Zealand, PNG, and Timor Leste. www.neoventurecorp.com/oc/aus/
Tertiary Fan Reservoirs of the North Sea August 31 – Sep 2 Aberdeen, Scotland The discovery of the giant Forties Field in 1970 triggered a 40 year history of exploration and exploitation of Tertiary deep marine fan reservoirs in the North Sea. To date there has been no event specifically dedicated to these important reservoirs which have made such a major contribution to the success of this hydrocarbon province and continue to present opportunities from new exploration discoveries through to the re-development of mature fields.
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This conference aims to showcase the geological diversity that exists across a range of depositional and structural settings. For further information and registration, please contact: Steve Whalley, Event Co-ordinator: +44 (0) 20 7432 0980 or email: steve.whalley@geolsoc.org.uk
Offshore India/ Unconventional Oil & Gas India September 14 Mumbai, India Addressing the demanding needs of the Indian market, the inaugural Offshore India and Unconventional Oil & Gas India provide a unique co-located platform for assembling the region's key leaders for discussion of technical, strategic and business topics affecting Indian oil & gas. www.offshoreoilindia.com
Commercial Diver and Diving Operations International Conference and Exhibition (CDDO) 3 - 4 April 2012 Marina Bay Sands Exhibition Centre, Singapore This show is the only exhibition and conference for civil, naval and military diving in Southeast Asia and outside the United States. Exhibiting at Commercial Diver & Diving Operations
Offshore Technology August 2011
Asia 2012 is an extremely efficient way to place your products and services in front of your existing and potential customers in a highly prestigious environment. The event will be held at the brand new Marina Bay Sands exhibition centre and will be accompanied by an international conference for divers and contractors, individuals and companies involved with diving operations. This conference will touch on all criteria related to this complex global and high value industry. This industry is growing worldwide with particular emphasis in Southeast Asia. Civil, naval and military divers and contractors worldwide are invited to attend the first global conference and exhibition for the fast-growing and high-value commercial diving industry. During the conference subjects such as training, safety measures, innovative tools and technology and certification will be discussed, along with the future of commercial diving. The exhibition will mirror this with exhibitors showing their products and services. International organizations, delegates and visitors working on closing the gaps in training and safety regulations will contribute by creating a lively atmosphere where networking is made easy. Demand for commercial divers is growing but vacancies remain open due to the lack of availability of trained
Acergy technology on display at OE 2009
divers. This situation requires international recognition and joint efforts to solve. This applies not only to divers but also very much to contractors and companies involved in diving operations - from the oil and gas industry to the renewables sector, to ship maintenance and dive support vessels and areas such as save and rescue and security operations. Official supporters of the show include IMCA, International Marine Contractors Association, The Underwater Centre, the National Hyperbaric Centre and companies from around the world. Contact Nele Andersch on +44(0)159067 9977 or andersch@referencepoint.de for bookings and further information
Commercial Diver and Diving Operations
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Mooring for marginal fields
ker Solutions has successfully completed engineering work on the Buzzard platform which saw an innovative flexible piping system used on a produced water system for the first time in the North Sea. The Aberdeen operation of the international engineering and construction services group used the Elastopip FOR (Fire and Oil Resistant) technology when carrying out work to install a temporary compact flotation unit on the Nexen installation. Developed by Trelleborg Offshore Norway, Elastopipe is a patented corrosion free and
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overkill compared with a deepwater TCMS designed for four or five risers, which is more practical and quicker to deploy. “Since the late 1990s TCMS systems have provided a cost-effective mooring solution in marginal shallow water fields. The deepwater TCMS builds on this success and experience to give independent operators a method of maximising the profitability of deepwater marginal fields,” says Mooring Systems, general manager, Doug Davidson. Deepwater TCMS builds on the success of the shallow water, tricatenary mooring system where the simplicity and speed of mooring line deployment, and the ease of vessel bow modification, has led to its use on a number of FPSO and floating storage vessels.
ooring Systems Ltd has announced a tricatenary mooring and riser system for floating production, storage and offtake (FPSO) vessels in marginal, deepwater and ultra-deepwater, oil and gas fields. The deepwater tricatenary mooring system (TCMS) provides a simpler, more costeffective mooring, and requires less FPSO modification, than traditional deepwater mooring systems, says the Aberdeen-based company. Deepwater TCMS comprises three synthetic fibre rope mooring lines radiating at equal angles from a connecting node below the sea surface, with a mooring pendant rising from the node to the bow of the moored FPSO. Flowline risers are fed through a guide frame within the pendant to onboard processing plant. To cope with wave and wind
movements offshore, the TCMS allows the FPSO to weathervane. In the event of adverse weather conditions, the bowmounted riser production tower is fully disconnectable and can be abandoned to 70m water depth while the FPSO sails to a safe port. When the FPSO returns, and is on station, the tower is retrieved and reconnected to the bow of the vessel. Deepwater TCMS is designed to offer independent operators an alternative to conventional deepwater mooring systems which are complex and expensive to deploy in marginal fields at water depths greater than 1,000m. In addition, they often require substantial modifications to the FPSO such as the addition of a mooring turret. In a marginal field, a turret capable of handling a small number of risers is
fire-resistant piping system originally designed for deluge and sprinkler systems in harsh environments. Made of synthetic rubber, it replaces rigid pipe materials like steel, titanium, copper nickel and fibre glass used in firewater systems. With the development of Elastopipe FOR, Trelleborg Offshore Norway have taken their proved technology into transportation of hydrocarbons and chemicals. Elastopipe FOR was used by Aker Solutions during the installation of new produced water piping tie-ins, inlet, outlet and return lines back to the existing degasser and over-
Flexible piping
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board to the produced water caisson on the Buzzard platform. Thomas Cook, Aker Solution’s lead piping engineer on the Nexen E&C project, said: “Work on the project began in June 2010 and we were aware from the start that the schedule was extremely tight. By looking beyond the conventional North Sea solutions we have saved our client an estimated £400,000 and up to 10 weeks project time compared to if we’d gone the traditional pipe route.
www mooringsystemsltd.com
“This would have involved the onshore fabrication of numerous pipespools and pipe supports. This, allied to the timescale of delivery of materials and manhours spent on the dimensional control of pipespools, would have meant missing the target installation completion date and would also have incurred many more offshore manhours for the construction and scaffolding manpower required for the more conventional installation.” www.akersolutions.com
August 2011 Offshore Technology
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Pressure testing merson Process Management has launched its Roxar Downhole Wireless PT Sensor System – Annulus B. The new instrument will measure online and in realtime previously inaccessible pressure and temperature information behind the casing in subsea production wells, providing operators with an important new tool for well integrity monitoring. With online pressure monitoring, the Roxar Downhole Wireless PT Sensor System – Annulus B can provide positive confirmation of the pressure barrier’s integrity. The tool will also negate the sometimes excessive and expensive over dimensioning of casings that can take place to compensate for worst case scenarios and will also potentially provide operators with significant cost savings previously in-
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curred in shutting in wells, due to their lack of ability to verify barrier integrity. The new wireless PT Sensor System and its permanent monitoring capabilities will give added certainty to the well integrity monitoring process as well as valuable input during well trouble-shooting. “The Roxar Downhole Wireless PT Sensor System – Annulus B represents a real step change in protecting subsea well integrity, as it tracks pressure in an area which was previously off limits for all operators,” said Terje Baustad of Emerson Process Management. “The new wireless instrument attaches to the same cable as the reservoir monitoring gauges and will detect any variations in pressure behind the casing string. It will provide early warning of these
The Roxar Downhole Wireless PT Sensor System
conditions and allow intervention or other remedial actions to be planned and implemented in a timely manner. The system consists of an Integrated Downhole Network (IDN) system to carry signals from the wellbore to the customer monitoring system with a Downhole Network Controller Card (DHNC) placed in the subsea structure and con-
nected to a ¼” electrical cable coupled to a tubing hanger penetrator and a series of up to 32 sensors distributed throughout the completion string. Other key components of the system include a wireless reader, a wireless PT Transponder and antennae to monitor activity in the B Annulus, and a transponder and reader carrier. The system has an accuracy of +- 2.5 psi - +0.18 degF. www.emersonprocess.com
Wireline kickover ireline and well intervention technology specialist Wireline Engineering has launched its next generation Advanced Kickover Tool to provide greater operational efficiency and lower intervention costs to the oil and gas industry. BP is the first operator to use the new patented downhole technology, hailed as a breakthrough in enhancing the efficiency of gas lift mandrel interventions by improving wireline conveyance and tool orientation. This is important in high deviation wells where the gas lift mandrel is set at challenging depths and angles. The tool’s ability to run smoothly into a deviated well reduces the risk of access failure and its advanced design makes it more effective at de-
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ploying or retrieving gas lift valves at the first attempt, minimizing downtime. Aberdeen-based Wireline Engineering estimates that the Advanced Kickover Tool can deliver very significant cost savings as the risk of misruns and operating overruns is reduced. The Advanced Kickover Tool has evolved from the design elements of the commercially proven Enhanced Performance Kickover Tool, improved to be even more reliable and to perform better in challenging downhole conditions. The new tool has com-
Offshore Technology August 2011
Wireline Engineering technician working on the new technology
pleted its first commercial project delivering successful gas lift mandrel intervention and conveyance operations to BP in one of the super-major’s highly deviated wells in the UK North Sea, located in the Magnus field in the East Shetland Basin. Bill Petrie, managing director of Wireline Engineering, said: “The Advanced Kickover Tool can be run in conjunction with our Roller Bogie tools and our Low-Loader jarring tool. Collectively this wireline intervention package provides an efficient, reliable and cost-effective solution to gas lift servicing challenges.” www.wireline-engineering.com
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Expro invests nternational oilfield services company Expro has announced a major new investment programme that will reinforce the company’s leading position as a supplier of innovative technology and specialist services to the upstream oil and gas sector, says the company. The programme includes expanding Expro’s established fleet of subsea safety systems and well test packages, as well as globalisation of the group’s strong drill stem testing (DST) heritage and emerging, innovative telemetry capability. Investments are also being made to fuel specific customer growth initiatives in the wireline and production systems product lines as well as new product developments in production surveillance (multiphase metering) and fluid analysis, said the company. The funds for the programme are being provided by a $250m (£154m) equity injection from the company’s shareholders. Additional flexi-
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Expro’s fleet of subsea safety systems will be expanded under the new programme
bility and the opportunity to accelerate growth have also been provided by increased covenant headroom under the
mezzanine facility and the expansion of the group’s revolving credit facility from $100m to $160m
Subsea well response
In Brief
NINE OF the world’s leading oil and gas companies – BG Group, BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Petrobras, Shell, Statoil and Total – have launched the Subsea Well Response Project (SWRP), an initiative designed to enhance the industry’s capability to respond to subsea well control incidents. Acting on the recommendations of the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers’ (OGP) Global Industry Response Group (GIRG) the companies have signed an Interim Joint Development Agreement, with Shell as the operator. The project team will: Design a capping toolbox with a range of equipment to allow wells to be shut in. Design additional hardware for the subsea injection of dispersant. Further assess the need for and feasibility of a containment system for shared use. Keith Lewis, former Vice President of Front-End Studies for Shell in the Americas, has been named as project manager. “OGP [GIRG] has brought forward a comprehensive set of recommendations for intervention on flowing wells following a well control incident. Designing systems that can be deployed effectively in different regions of the world is an immense challenge but member companies have assigned leading specialists to the task,” Lewis said. The Subsea Well Response Project (SWRP) is a not-forprofit joint initiative, and the project team consists of technical experts and senior management from nine of the major oil companies. SWRP’s objective is to manage the selection and design of caps and associated equipment to enhance industry capabilities to respond to well control incidents, and recommend a model for international storage, maintenance and deployment of this equipment. SWRP is operated by Shell, on behalf of the nine member companies, and its headquarters is in Stavanger, Norway. This new project complements the work that is being undertaken in the US, via the Marine Well Containment Company, and in the UK via the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Advisory Group. www.subseawellresponse.com
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Technology Look out for the next issue of Offshore Technology magazine which will include the following in-depth special reports and geographical features Dutch Offshore – A vibrant business cluster offering everything
from FPSO technology to cutting edge instrumentation ROVs & AUVs Seismic technology Next issue Floating Production Systems October 2011 Software & the digitial oilfield News…….profiles ……..new product listings …….and much more Offshore Technology is published by IMarEST, and is dedicated to professionals working in today’s oil & gas industry. For editorial enquiries contact Bruce McMichael at bruce.mcmichael@imarest.org For advertising enquiries contact Peter Marpuri at peter.marpuri@imarest.org
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Spotlight Remote exploration: the role of satellite communications in the oil & gas industry, by Simon Watts, chief engineer, Hughes Europe
Simon Watts of Hughes Europe
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Remote searching n supporting the oil and gas industry the world of communications is developing rapidly, both in terms of the needs of different users and the technologies capable of meeting the sector’s constantly evolving demands. Where it is commercially or technically unfeasible to lay fibre optic cable or use long haul microwave connections, satellite becomes the only viable option; in other locations satellite can act as back-up path should the primary fail. With near-shore exploration in areas such as the North Sea, the requirements are broadly in line with those of most datadependent industries. Yet in moving towards exploration in deeper waters and more remote geographies, the communications landscape changes completely. One area in which the exploration industry is unlike many other sectors is the flow of data. In the majority of IT applications, most data travels from the centre to outlying locations, such as regional offices or manufacturing units. However, in the oil & gas industry, huge volumes of raw geological and SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) type data are transmitted from exploration vessels and production facilities to each company’s data centre. Equally, relatively little data tends to flows back from the centre to unmanned locations and usually relates to confirming precise details as to where to focus local exploration efforts based on an analysis of that data. Unlike most satellite-based
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solutions which are data centre-centric therefore, here most of the required bandwidth is at each of the remote locations. A standard enterprise-grade service focused on the data centre will be unsuitable in such an environment: what is required is a solution which can offer a Quality of Service with large upload capacity. As a result, the typical satellite-based solution deployed by oil and gas companies today is a single carrier per channel (SCPC) solution – in effect, a ‘leased line in the sky’.
Optimising bandwidth Oil and gas companies are not immune from the intense financial pressures which continue to result from the most recent economic downturn and so need to make the most of the bandwidth available to them. Companies today typically have a dedicated communications link to each rig or ship. And here the potential exists to optimise bandwidth performance by sharing connectivity between multiple remote sites and the data centre. So, if each individual platform, for example, uses 2 Mbps of burst connectivity, it may be possible to share that bandwidth between, say five or 10 platforms, so requiring a substantially lower bandwidth investment. Use of powerful VSATs such as Hughes HX series satellite routers will allow committed information rates (CIRs) to be created to ensure delivery of critical data; acting more like a MPLS circuit rather than a leased line. The
big issue for any exploration company is that of bandwidth cost: so, by moving away from a dedicated to a shared resource, this provides the opportunity to make much better use of existing bandwidth. For many, the move away from a bottom-up, per-rig to a top-down, fleet-based approach may require a fundamental change of mindset: however, the potential savings in sharing in-route communications are substantial. Though the initial cost of a shared solution will be slightly higher compared to a SCPC solution, the medium to long-term savings on bandwidth will far outweigh any additional initial upfront investment.
Looking ahead Providers of satellite technologies face a constant battle to keep up with the oil & gas industry’s insatiable appetite for bandwidth, as data volumes continue to grow exponentially. The resulting challenge for providers is to meet these increasing capacity demands, at the same time providing a robust service at competitive cost. Looking ahead, the next move is already underway from Ku band to Ka band - in looking to further increase bandwidth without a parallel increase in price. The industry will continue to put pressure on providers to drive such technology improvements as quickly as possible, as faster voice and data speeds deliver the substantial benefits of lower cost and better performance. www.hugheseurope.com
August 2011 Offshore Technology
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