Offshore staff
ABERDEEN, UK – Wave power developer Mocean Energy and energy storage specialist EC-OG are collaborating with Chrysaor, Modus, Baker Hughes, and the Oil and Gas Technology Centre in Aberdeen.
They plan to demonstrate how wave power coupled with underwater energy storage can reduce the carbon footprint of powering subsea oil and gas production equipment and AUVs.
The OGTC and the project partners are funding the demonstrator, which will be tested at EC-OG’s onshore facility in Aberdeen this July and August, followed potentially by sea trials later in the year.
It follows an earlier study in 2020, part funded by OGTC, which confirmed the environmental benefits of the design concept that will be used for the upcoming campaign.
Cameron McNatt, Mocean Energy’s managing director, said: “Our technology uses renewable energy from waves to deliver low carbon power for subsea equipment, including tiebacks…
“We will demonstrate – in onshore conditions – how our wave device will deliver power and communication to subsea equipment.”
Nigel Ward, managing director at Modus, added the program would “provide temporary or semi-permanent modular series residency for hybrid autonomous underwater vehicles, recharged subsea and controlled from shore…
“This…approach to survey and inspection will reduce the numbers of personnel required offshore, providing significant benefits and cost savings…”
John Kerr, subsea production systems and technology director for Baker Hughes, Oilfield Equipment concluded: “Many subsea oilfield production systems will transition to all-electric operations in the not too distant future…
“We are excited to be part of this project as we will be able to simulate the ability of the system to power and communicate with the equivalent of a four-well Baker Hughes all-electric subsea production system.”
Other applications could include remediation of faulty umbilical cables in existing developments; fast track solutions for single well tiebacks; and ultra-long step outs of greater than 200 km (124 mi), where local renewable power generation could make these developments more environmentally and economically viable.
03/04/2021
