Aspects of the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry

 

7 April 2011 North of England Branch Technical Seminar and Dinner Cruise

Sponsored by Wellstream

 

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Overview

The North of England Branch of the SUT ran a seminar which aimed to provide a background to the breadth of the offshore oil and gas industry. The North of England is home to a number of major suppliers to this industry, and the seminar was designed to provide the context in which these companies operate. In other words, it was intended to help engineers working in one area to appreciate where their product fits into the broader picture. The talks were aimed primarily at students, new graduates and engineers who want to broaden their knowledge, but was also intended to be of interest to more experienced engineers, and as well as provide an informative backdrop for non-engineers who work in the industry.

The social evening followed the seminar and provided an opportunity for those who work in the offshore oil and gas industry, or in any other underwater industry, to mix in an informal atmosphere, and to enjoy a social drink and a fish supper.

 

Presentations

Life Extension of Subsea Structures

Dr Afshin Motarjemi, Xodus Group

 

Geology of Hydrocarbon Exploration

Dr Kuncho Kurtev, Newcastle University

 

 

Materials in Harsh Environments

 

23 March 2011 North of England Branch Evening Meeting

Chairman Terry Sheldrake, Wellstream International Ltd

Sponsored by Bridon International Ltd and SpanSet

 

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Presentations

Metals in Extreme Conditions

Richard Clements, Wellstream International Ltd

Never before has it been more important to understand the materials we are using in deepwater developments. The failure of components or systems installed in subsea oilfield developments carries with it implications for the environment, health and safety and corporate reputation, as seen recently in the Macondo incident in the GOM. Learning from problems with materials and proper, thorough testing and qualification play a vital role in this process, ensuring materials are suitable for the applications into which they are being put. This presentation focused on qualification and testing methodologies for metallic materials in flexible pipes for ultra-deep-water applications, the problems which can be encountered during those qualifications, and an example of an investigation into an issue raised by a client – vent valve screen corrosion.

 

The use of Fibre Ropes in the Marine and Offshore Industries

James Mackay, Bridon International Ltd

This presentation looked at materials, properties and focuses on the varied applications we now see high strength fibre ropes being used.

 

Pipeline Replacement Project

 

17 March 2011 London Evening Meeting

Chairman Dr Bob Allwood, Chief Executive, SUT

Sponsored by Flexlife

 

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Overview

In early January 2011, the 14" flowline between Forties Bravo (FB) and Forties Charlie (FC) platforms developed a leak in the vicinity of the FC platform. Several repairs were undertaken, however, new leaks occurred in the line at each pressure test after repairs. It was decided to cut out and remove a 10m section of the line for further examination and analysis to determine the cause of its failure. On removing this section, a Smart flanged section was put in its place. Unfortunately during the pressure test new failures were identified and it was therefore decided to retire the line altogether.

In order to mitigate both valuable production and associated financial losses, a decision was taken to provide a temporary connection between FB and FC, by re-routing the currently existing 8” produced water flexible injection line (PWRI) also running between FB and FC, which allowed for re-instatement of hydrocarbon transport. This work was extremely fast track and production was restored by using this measure on 6th March 2011.

A number of options were considered for the permanent line replacement. It was concluded that the temporary connection will be replaced by a permanent, trenched and buried 14” flexible pipeline, the design of which has already been approved; its fabrication and installation to be executed over the next 4 to 6 months.

 

Presentations

Apache Forties – Bravo to Charlie Pipeline Replacement Project and Interim Production through PWRI

The evening’s presentation was split into two portions. The first section presents the interim findings of the materials and corrosion examination and analysis including photographic evidence showing the failure modes in the line. This was presented by David Newman, Flexlife Asset Integrity Manager.

Following on from this, a presentation detailing the subsea campaigns since early January 2011 culminating in the novel rerouting of the produced water line (PWRI) and its connection into the Bravo – Charlie system was given by Paul Williams who is a Project Manager with Flexlife and was directly responsible for these works.

 

Subsea Solutions for Arctic in Extreme Weather Environments

 

9 March 2011 Aberdeen Branch Evening Meeting

Chairman Adrian Phillips

 

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Overview

Excitement continues to grow around the prospects of major exploration and development in and around the arctic continental shelf. Russian gas giant Gazprom is voicing optimism about the prospects for a final investment decision this year in favour of the landmark Shtokman gas and liquefied natural gas development in the Barents Sea. The Shtokman offshore field is a joint project controlled by Gazprom with France’s Total and Norway’s Statoil as minority shareholders. The other major Russian player Rosneft is already talking to "global players" about exploration ventures in Russia’s Barents Sea and the Asian part of Russia’s Arctic waters. This follows major joint ventures signed last month to explore in the Arctic’s South Kara Sea with BP and in the Black Sea with ExxonMobil.

 

Presentations

Subsea Arctic Pipelines: Key to Successful Field Developments

Glenn Lanan, Intecsea

Hydrocarbon transportation is one of the controlling requirements for offshore Arctic field development and pipelines are often required for intrafield flowlines, export to shore-based facilities or for tanker loading systems. The offshore Arctic environmental and loading conditions provide unique challenges for conventional subsea pipeline technology. INTECSEA summarised the increasing industry experience with pipeline design, construction and operation in ice covered waters and highlighted some of the remaining challenges such as optimised design for ice loadings and subsea leak detection.

 

ENI Goliat Subsea Development

Richard Carter, Aker Solutions

Following Statoil’s pioneering and record breaking subsea project, Snohvit, the next major subsea development in the same area is ENI’s Goliat. Statoil opted for a 140km "long offset", whilst ENI have chosen for an FPSO. Aker Solutions provided some insights on the reason for the decision whilst offering a perspective on the engineering challenges of the subsea solution.

 

Recent Advances in Satellite Remote Sensing for Ice Monitoring

Nicholas Walker, eOsphere

Satellite remote sensing can provide useful information for operators working in ice infested waters, including information about ice extent, ice type, ice motion and icebergs. Recent advances in satellite SAR technology allow additional information to be extracted for successful ice monitoring. These new capabilities include improved resolutions, improved polarimetric and radar frequency options.