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Executive summary
OG21 (www.OG21.org) Norway’s technology strategy for the petroleum sector issued a revised strategy document in November 2005. In this document “Subsea processing and transport” was identified as one of the eight new technology target areas (TTAs). The overall OG21 strategy document is on an aggregated level, and therefore the Board of OG21 decided that a sub-strategy for each TTA was needed.
This document proposes the sub-strategy for the technology target area “Subsea processing and transport” which covers the technology and competence necessary to effectively transport wellstream to a platform or to onshore facilities. This includes multiphase flow modelling, flow assurance challenges to avoid problems with hydrates, asphalthenes and wax, subsea or downhole fluid conditioning including bulk water removal, and optionally complete water removal, and sand handling. It also covers technologies to increase recovery by pressure boosting from subsea pumping and/or subsea compression. Finally it covers technologies to facilitate subsea processing such as control systems and power supply.
The vision of the Subsea processing and transport TTA is:
Norwayis to be the leading international knowledge- and technology cluster in subsea processing and transport:
o Sustain increased recovery and accelerated production on the NCS by applying subsea processing and efficient transport
solutions
§ Enable >500 km gas/condensate multiphase wellstream transport
§ Enable >200 km oil-dominated multiphase wellstream transport
§ Enable wellstream transport of complex fluids
§ Enable subsea water handling and boosting
§ Enable deepwater developments
§ Optimize the utilization of existing infrastructure and maximize the development of petroleum resources on the NCS
§ Enable environmentally friendly and energy efficient field development
o Increase the export of subsea processing and transport technology
§ Optimize technology from the NCS for application worldwide
§ Develop new technology that can meet the challenges found in other areas than the NCS
The current R&D support arrangements, like Petromaks, SFF (Norwegian centres of excellence), SFI (Centre for research based innovation), and Demo 2000, have been very successful. They have contributed to make the Norwegian oil and gas industry international leaders in subsea processing and transport. In order to maintain this position and thus fulfil the vision of this TTA, the current R&D funding system should be maintained, and there should also be a further increase in the level of funding.
Some of the short-term challenges in subsea processing and transport are already handled by the operating oil companies in specific field development projects, and are due to be implemented in the contractor portfolio. Therefore, these challenges should have limited priority regarding funding from the Norwegian government.
The key technology challenges where governmental funding is most important are listed below. The order of the list does not reflect any priority.
• Monitoring and control systems for subsea processing
• Fundamental understanding and models for oil/gas/water separation, includes fluid characterization and fluid mechanics.
• Compact separation equipment for deepwater use
• High capacity and energy efficiency subsea compression
• Fundamental understanding of multiphase thermodynamics and flow aspects in equipment
• Increase differential pressure for multiphase pumps
• Distribution components for AC and DC power supply systems (Insulation materials and design for higher voltages)
• Subsea AC/DC power conversion
• Development of subsea gas injection compressor system
• Reliable equipment with high capacity for downhole separation
• Fundamental knowledge regarding multiphase pipeline flow and flow assurance
• Flow assurance with focus on complex fluids including heavy, highly viscous oil
• Basic understanding of fluid conditioning for long distances, “Cold flow”
• Detection and remediation techniques for plugs and deposits in multiphase transport
The key recommendations from this TTA group are:
The Norwegian authorities need to support fundamental R&D and knowledge build-up to solve the listed technology challenges.
Of special importance is to maintain and extend the knowledge base and educate engineers to use and further develop multiphase
transport and subsea processing technology.
The development and application of technology products will mainly be handled by the industry. However, public financial support
in an early development phase and also in the first field implementation is important in order to speed up industrialisation
and promote the activity level. Such support schemes are therefore recommended to be continued.
Key technology elements are linked to increased transportation distances and low cost development solutions for small fields.
These are:
Flow assurance solutions for long distance oil-dominated transport
Low cost flow assurance solutions
Processing/boosting/artificial lift for deep water and/or long distance transport:
Subsea water removal
Two-phase separation and pumping
Multiphase pumping
Gas compression
Subsea power supply and control
Read the full sub strategy here
TTA6 - Sub sea Processing and Transport
Per Gerhard Grini, StatoilHydro, (Lead Party rep.)
Jan Nossen , IFE
Ole Jørgen Nydal, NTNU
Michael Golan, NTNU
Erik Holm, FACE CRI
Angjerd Pleym, Sintef
Kjell Arne Jacobsen, Sintef
Gunnar Hannibal Lie, Statoil Hydro
Alexandre Goldszal, Total
Svein Håheim, Shell
Egil Bergsager, ChevronTexaco
Rune Fantoft, FMC
Anders Storstenvik, Aker Kværner
(Cato Bjelland, CMR)
