SUT InDepth

SUT InDepth is a series of collaborative technology events which will address specific ocean, subsea and deep water industry issues and challenges.

The aim is to bring together the best minds and expertise in a particular area of technology – both management and operational – to address the topics in a relaxed and more informal setting.

These events are highly participatory and future looking with a strictly limited number of attendees.

Attendees will be asked to come prepared to contribute their knowledge and experience to further the development of the technology being discussed.

Summit style sessions will be facilitated by senior level industry professionals and technologists who are experts in their field.

An important aspect of the event will be networking with peers both one-to-one and in small groups.

Subsea Power – Beyond Current Limitations

3-5 December 2013

This high-level technology event aims to innovate and seek solutions to progress the development of subsea electrical power to enable and secure the future of underwater operations, principally in the offshore energy industry.

Topics include:

• Electrical power requirements
• Subsea power equipment – VSDs , transformers, switchgear
• Connectors and cables
• Control and communication
• Applied technologies outlook – AC/DC, Standardisation

Summary of outcomes and results will be made available to all participants after the event.

Cost – fully residential – including hotel accommodation at South Lodge Hotel for 3 & 4 December and all meals and refreshment breaks: £1575 plus VAT

Who should participate?

• The event will be of particular interest to professionals, technologists and managers working in the sphere of subsea electrical power supply – generation and transmission; developers of technology, equipment and solutions in the area of subsea power – eg VSDs, transformers, switchgear, connectors, cables, control systems; academics and researchers with an interest in subsea power issues.
• Attending an In-Depth event builds a professional network amongst peers that will last a lifetime with opportunities to interact with senior executives, senior engineers, innovators, experienced professionals, and leading technologists.
• In-Depth sessions provide an excellent opportunity for early incubation of future trends and technologies.
• They offer an opportunity to establish a reputation throughout the industry that benefits both the individual and the company.

Benefits to You and Your Organisation

SUT ‘InDepth’ sessions allow you to:

• Gain insight and perspective through discussions and exchanges with peers that share similar interests and differing experiences.
• Meet with other experts from international companies, research institutes, and universities in a confidential environment.
• Form professional relationships that will continue beyond the summit.

 

Branch AGM & Life Extension Presentations

20 November 2013 Newcastle Evening Meeting

Chairman Dr Ian Frazer

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Jonathon Doyle, Senior Engineer, Atkins
At the end of design life, the operators of subsea equipment and pipelines face a choice between decommissioning or justifying the extension of the life of their assets. Factors such as commodity price, enhanced recovery techniques, and the economic viability of new infrastructure all contribute to the decision. In recent years Atkins has worked on a number of subsea and pipeline life extension projects, ranging from major infrastructure to small subsea tiebacks. Jonathon will discuss the motivations we have seen for life extension, the techniques that we have employed, and some of the challenges that we and our clients have experienced.

Life in the Old Dogs Yet—An Evaluations of the North Sea’s Remaining Petroleum Resources
Prof Jon Gluyas, Head of Department, Dong/Ikon Chair in Geoenergy Carbon Capture & Storage, Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University

In mid-1975 the Argyll Field became the first UK North Sea oilfield to produce oil. Seventeen years later in 1992 the then operator deemed life was over for this modest sized field and the expectation was that many more fields would follow suit. Indeed by the turn of the millennium it was anticipated that many of the large fields in the North Sea would be abandoned, the expected 30-35% yield factor of oil would have been met. Yet today in 2013 very few fields have been abandoned and many continue to produce oil economical albeit with reduced rate. Professor Gluyas will discuss some of the more likely enhanced oil recovery methods – those which modify the properties of the connate water or the viscosity of the oil and will also examine reservoir contributions to OPEX reduction by examining the value in co-produced fluids.

The sky is not the limit but there are good technical reasons to believe tertiary recovery could add 10% to the ultimate yield of oil in the UK.

 

 

West of Shetland Developments

6 November 2013 Aberdeen Evening Meeting

Chairman Richard Ficken, Total E&P Ltd.

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SUT+ Pre-Talk
Richard Ficken, Subsea and Pipelines Manager, Total E&P Ltd
SUT+ Pre-talks are targeted at developing professionals and newcomers to industry, with the aim of providing attendees with additional background subject knowledge to enhance the main SUT presentations which follow.

Achieving the greatest value from decommissioned flexible pipes
Paul Benstead, Pipeline Integrity Manager, BP North Sea Operations

TEPUK Laggan-Tormore Project – Flow Assurance and Subsea Architecture
Simon Hare, Operations Manager, Laggan-Tormmore Porject, Total E&P UK
Total E&P UK is currently developing the Laggan and Tormore gas-condensate fields located in 600m of water 125km to the west of the Shetland islands, with first gas planned for 2014. The fields are developed through two 6-slot integrated template manifolds, tied back via two 143km x 18” flow lines to the new-build Shetland Gas Plant being constructed next to the Sullom Voe Terminal on Shetland. This presentation will give an overview of the key flow assurance challenges and the subsea hardware, and will highlight some of the new equipment and systems deployed to improve the operability of the field.

Rosebank Subsea Challenges
Peter Blake, Subsea Systems Manager, Chevron Energy Technology Company
The Chevron-operated Rosebank project is located approximately 80 miles (130 kilometres) north -west of the Shetland Islands in blocks 213/26 and 213/2. It lies in water depths of approximately 3,600 feet (1,100 meters) and will be Chevron’s first deep water development in the UK. The field, discovered in 2004, is estimated to contain total potentially recoverable oil-equivalent resources of 240 million barrels. The planned development will include a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel tied to subsea production and water injection wells and a gas export pipeline. Any West of Shetland deepwater development is susceptible to harsh weather, rough sea states and phenomenal offshore environmental forces. In the case of Rosebank this is exacerbated by the large distance offshore and the deepwater nature of the project. This presentation will provide an overview of the project and discuss some of the subsea
engineering technical challenges involved with developing a field in this environment.

 

 

 

Application of a Geographic Information System (GIS) for the Management and Analysis of Subsea Assets

17 October 2013 London Evening Meeting

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Presentation

The need for intelligent data management for subsea pipeline projects has identified the importance of proper data management practices and the conservation of data integrity throughout the project life cycle. A Geographical Information System (GIS) has been used to store, manage and analyze the digital design, moving away from a paper centric to a more data centric environment.

The early implementation of a GIS system secures a rigid foundation for pipeline data throughout the project data life cycle and integrates data management systems using a widely adopted common platform. The leveraging of data access through third party management systems, such as the industry standard Pipeline Open Data Standard (PODS) model and Subsea Survey Data Model (SSDM), enables a fully functional platform to aid in greater decision support.

The use of GIS functionality and built in analysis tools, enables greater support for Asset Integrity Management (AIM), providing a greater degree of decision support to clients, through means of dynamic visual representation and bolt-on integrity tools. There is an increasing need in the Oil and Gas industry to ensure data is current, accurate and meaningful to ensure the integrity of assets through the full life of field.