Aker Kvaerner wins ONS innovation award
Aker Kvaerner’s Multibooster subsea boosting technology has won the ONS 2006 innovation award.
Deployment of Aker Kvaerner’s Multibooster module.
Aker Kvaerner’s Multibooster subsea multi-phase pump system reportedly delivers improved oil recovery and facilitates longer step-out distances between subsea assets and host facilities by lowering the pressure at the reservoir and increasing pressure in the production line.
The design is based on Bornemann twin-screw internals, which allows for a wide performance envelope when handling multiphase flow and high pressure boost at high gas content.
The Multibooster pump system is already operating on the Lyell field, offshore Scotland, and two more systems are under development for BP’s King project in the Gulf of Mexico, scheduled for start-up early next year.
“Twenty years of innovation, technical knowledge and collaboration with our customers and partners has been invested in developing this technology. This award reflects the spirit of its evolution and great potential for our customers,” says Raymond Carlsen, executive vice president, Aker Kvaerner Subsea.
The Multibooster also won an OTC 06 Spotlight on New Technology Award earlier this year.
Wellstream International secures Frade project work
Chevron Frade LLC has awarded a contract for 130 km of flowlines, risers and jumpers to flexible pipe manufacturer, Wellstream International. This equipment is an all-flexible solution for theFrade FPSO project in 1,200 m of water offshore Brazil.
The project calls for 2-in. to 8-in. pipes, including a 40-km, 8-in. gas export flowline.
Manufacturing will take place in Wellstream’s Newcastle, UK facility, with the company’s Bardella facility in Niteroi, Brazil, serving as the logistics base for the project. From October 2007 to July 2008, 8 major work packages will leave Newcastle for a total of 110 reels.
“This award represents the single largest direct award to Wellstream to date and confirms our position as a world class player in deepwater market,” said Gordon Chapman, CEO of Wellstream.
Two North Sea contracts for Technip
Technip’s UK entity has been awarded contracts for the Oilexco, Brenda and Maersk Affleck projects, located in the UK North Sea, with a combined value of £67 million (about $125 million).
The Brenda contract, awarded by Oilexco North Sea Ltd., requires the Brenda and Nicol fields to be tied back to theBalmoral FPV. Under the terms of the contract, Technip will manage the project for Oilexco and install an 8.7-km production pipeline piggybacked with a gas lift pipeline. This will be installed between the Brenda well and manifold. In addition, Technip will install a 9.6-km production pipeline between the Brenda manifold and Nicol trees, and two umbilicals (9.4 km and 9.6 km), a 200-metric ton production manifold and 18 flexible jumpers. Development of Brenda and Nicol will be completed in 2006.
The Affleck field is operated by Maersk Oil North Sea UK Ltd. (66.67%) with partner Talisman North Sea Ltd. (33.33%). Under the Maersk Affleck contract award, Technip will tie back the Affleck field to the existingJanice FPU. Technip will install a 28 km pipe-in-pipe (PIP), as well as a 28 km umbilical and all associated risers. In addition, Technip will design, manufacture, fabricate and install an 80 metric ton manifold and two SSIV structures. Technip will also install a connection from an existing tee on the Janice gas export line to the Clyde platform.
Technip will be responsible for all associated pre-commissioning, tie-in and testing work for each development. The Affleck project is slated for completion in 2007.
Statoil commissions new subsea template for Norne
Statoil ASA has secured consent to use a new subsea template on the Norne field, an oil and gas field in the Norwegian Sea about 80 km north of Heidrun. The new template will initially accommodate two production wells that will increase recovery from the field.
Artist’s rendering of the Norne field. An additional subsea template will be added to this existing field layout. Courtesy of Øyvind Hagen, Statoil ASA.
The current field layout includes an FPSO, three production templates, one water injection template and a combined gas/water injection template, each with four well slots.
All of the well slots on the existing subsea template are in use, either for production or injection purposes. Statoil says that the new template (K) will accelerate production and increase recovery from the Norne field from 56% to 57%. The frame is also capable of accommodating one additional production well and a new water injection well in the future.
The K template will be installed about 120 m from the existing B, C and D templates, and will tie in to templates B and D by flexible production flowlines.
The process facility on theNorne FPSO will be upgraded and modified in order to accommodate the additional production. It will be used to process the oil and for production of water for injection.
Norne is part of production license 128 and is operated by Statoil ASA. Other licensees in the field include Eni Norge AS, Norsk Hydro Produksjon AS, and Petoro AS.
Gene Kliewer, Houston
