UNATTENDED UNDERWATER BOOSTING STATION FOR TWO PHASE FLOW

Obiettivo

Aim of the project is to define and demonstrate the feasibility of a Subsea System for the collection, pumping and dispatching of the production of an oil field to a gathering station either onshore or on a platform in shallow waters.
The System, which is unmanned, must be suitable for installations up to depth of 1000 m and at a distance of about 100 Km from the coast.
The main performaces of the S.B.S. system have been confirmed according to the selected scenario :
- capacity of handling the two phase mixture with gas content variable in time. Therefore two reference operating areas have been found :
- low GOR : up to 50 % of vacuum degree;
- high GOR : up to 90 % of vacuum degree.
- Capacity of pumping a flowrate of liquids variable in time relevant to a max production of 30,000 BOPD.
- Capacity of giving to the pumped mixture a pressure rise in the order of 90 kg/cm2 (on the assumption of a depth of 1,000 m, of a distance of 100 Km far from the coast, of a pipeline with diameter 16").
The use of a S.B.S. system in the exploitation of marginal offshore oil fields led to conceive the plant in a modular way.
The production capacity of the basic unit has been fixed in 10,000 BOPD.
The 4-stage centrifugal pump prototype is sized (impeller diameter of 350 mm) for a production capacity of 10,000 barrels/day, with a suction max void fraction of 60 %.
The construction of the two-phase hydrocarbon testing circuit has been completed.
The detailed engineering and prototype construction of system components, "critical" from the standpoint of their suitability to operate in the actual environment (1000 meters of water depth) such as :
- high power, subsea mateable electric connector,
- 30 KW power cable penetration,
- High delta P electric penetration,
- fiber optic signal transmission system,
- Motor/pump sealing system,
- Auxiliary system for the pump bearings,
has been completed.
The testing campaign is in progress.
The tests and studies carried out support the concept that the exploitation of an oil field through an S.B.S. - type system including the pumping system and in general the whole production, control and submarine transportation system is feasible.
In particular, this work has proved that power and distribution electrical transmission is technically feasible, that the multiphase fluid can be transported over long distances, and in general that it is feasible to achieve a satisfactory degree of reliability of this system.
These successful results constitute a valid starting point for future industrial developments of submarine production systems.
The pumping system using a centrifugal pump is considerably interesting for applications with low GOR fluids, as it can easily be adapted to the submarine environment.
High GOR fluid fields require pumping machines performing at higher levels.
The project includes the following phases:
PHASE 1000 - Definition of operating scenarios and performance of the system.
PHASE 2000 - Design of the system and analysis of components subsystem.
Based on define the results of phase 1000, architecture of the system, select the subsystems and start the reliability analysis.
PHASE 3000 - Two phase pump subsystem
Investigations, experimentation and setting-up of two phase pump which can cover the operating scenario identified in phase 1000.
PHASE 4000 - Power generation subsystem.
To identify and develop the power generation and transmission subsystem.
PHASE 5000 - Instrumentation and control subsystem
To identify and develop the control subsystem and the data acquisition/transmission.
PHASE 6000 - Prototype construction and onshore tests
To evaluate the performance of the developed system, the construction of a complete prototype and its tests in oil-land pilot plant are foreseen in this phase.
PHASE 7000 - Tests on system components in offshore simulated environment.
The project started on October 1st, 1985 and it is expected to end by September 30th, 1989.

Programma(i)

ENG-HYDROCARB 1C - Programme (EEC) of Community projects in the hydrocarbons sector, 1973-1985

Argomento(i)

1.12 - TRANSPORT

Invito a presentare proposte

Data not available

Meccanismo di finanziamento

DEM - Demonstration contracts

Coordinatore

SNAMPROGETTI SPA

Contributo UE

Nessun dato

Indirizzo

Viale Alcide De Gasperi 16
20097 SAN DONATO MILANESE
Italia

Costo totale