P.2 ~ Papa-Terra marks first use of dry tree floating technology offshore Brazil
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Cathelco supplied an impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) system to protect the underwater surface of the hull against corrosion. The ICCP incorporates four power units positioned throughout the length of the vessel.
In May 2014, Chevron reported that theBrasil Voyager, a tanker built specifically to offload oil from Papa-Terra, lifted about 740,000 bbl from the FPSO P-63. The Brasil Voyager is expected to offload around 950,000 bbl from the field every 40 days.
The month before, McDermott International completed the installation of theP-61 TLWP at the Papa-Terra field. The platform, moored in 3,871 ft (1,180 m) of water, is South America's first TLWP installation and the first use of dry tree floating technology offshore Brazil.
The TLWP resembles a semisubmersible, but is moored to the seafloor by vertical anchors. The arrangement is designed to suppress the platform's range of motions, allowing the use of dry christmas trees on the deck of the platform. The project drew upon the proprietary technology, engineering, and construction resources of McDermott, Keppel, and FloaTEC, the joint venture company between McDermott and Keppel.
McDermott conducted topsides engineering in Houston. The piles and tendons were fabricated at the company's multi-joint welding facility in Morgan City, Louisiana, and at the McDermott Wuchuan fabrication yard in Qingdao, China. It used the deepwater construction vesselDerrick Barge 50 to install the eight piles and tendons.
Keppel FELS built the topsides at its Singapore yard and built the hull at its BrasFELS yard in Angra dos Reis, Brazil, where FloaTEC performed the topsides and hull integration using the float-over method.
FloaTEC conducted hull engineering and provided risers, well systems, and tendon components. The company awarded Dril-Quip a $100-million contract to supply surface production tree systems, production riser systems, and a drilling riser system. FloaTEC also will perform operations and maintenance of the TLWP for the initial three-year period of operations.
Anchored alongside the TLWP will be theSS-88 tender assisted drilling semisubmersible platform. Built by Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. in China and by Superior Derrick Services in the US, the SS-88 will provide drilling and well completion services. P-61will connect to 13 production wells. All 18 Papa-Terra producer wells will be equipped with submersible centrifugal pumps. Output from P-61 will be transferred through multi-phase flow to the FPSO P-63. First oil is expected from P-61 TLWP by the end of the year.
