Technology Focus: Subsea Technology (August 2010)

Abstract

Technology Focus For several years, after the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC), I have had the opportunity to address the JPT audience and comment on subsea technologies and field applications that came to the forefront. This year, however, before getting to business, I would like to comment on the major event that hovered over OTC and the questions that could not stop being asked: “What happened?” “What consequences will the industry face?” “How should we get prepared for the day after?” I waited until the day before my review was due to put thoughts on paper. During this period, I closely followed developments and efforts to solve the catastrophe. Nevertheless, more time is necessary to cap the well and much more time will be necessary to recover the environment. How long it will take us to be back in business is another question that we all would like to answer. As we find the answer, our industry will be revisited comprehensively—from regulations and drilling procedures to equipment construction, safety, and environmental response. Time will tell. Now, let us address subsea technology and the papers of this issue. It was pleasing to see new fields implementing subsea boosting in different parts of the world. Three fields particularly caught my attention: Perdido, Parque das Conchas, and Azurite. The Perdido field, in the ultradeepwater Gulf of Mexico, combines a spar with a subsea-boosting system—an engineering master piece. The Parque das Conchas (BC-10) field, in ultradeepwater Brazil, uses a subsea-boosting system. The Azurite field, in ultradeepwater West Africa, uses a subsea-multiphase-pumping system. Subsea boosting attests that the operators have been looking attentively into this type of solution as the technology evolves into the ultimate subsea-to-shore production systems. I am pleased to suggest a collection of papers that addresses such solutions and their significant benefits to the field. I hope you enjoy it! Subsea Technology additional reading available at OnePetro: www.onepetro.org OTC 20418 • “Experiences From Operating New-Generation Riserless-Light-Well-Intervention (RLWI) Units in the North Sea, Challenges and Future Opportunities” by Robert Friedberg, Island Offshore Subsea, et al. OTC 20619 • “Experience to Date and Future Opportunities for Subsea Processing in Statoil” by Simon Davies, Statoil, et al. SPE 124290 • “The First All-Electric Subsea System on Stream: Development, Operational Feedback, and Benefits for Future Applications” by Pierre Gerardin, Total, et al. OTC 20993 • “AKPO: The Subsea-Production System” by Stuart G. Nelson, Total.