Offshore staff
MONACO -- A joint industry project (JIP) on pumps has developed technology that generates a higher differential pressure for ultra deepwaters, longer tiebacks, and high-boost dependent fields. Arne Olsen of Framo Engineering described the results of the High Boost Multiphase Pump Project to the Deep Offshore Technology Conference meeting this week in Monaco. Project participants included Shell, Total, StatoilHydro, and BP.
Started two years ago, the JIP has successfully designed, manufactured, and tested a subsea pump that increases the differential pressure capability by a factor of three to four, according to Olsen.
The high-boost pump is based on proven hydraulic, mechanical, and electrical component designs currently used in conventional pumps. The new pump, however, can generate a differential pressure of up to 200 bar (20 MPa) to enable developments in water depths ranging from 2,000 m to 3,000 m (6,562 ft to 9,842 ft).
Combining these proven pieces with a novel thrust balancing technology is the key to the increase in boost. Comparing a convention pump unit to the high-boost unit shows that both can reach high volume flow rates around 300,000 boe/d, but that the high-boost version does so at up to four times the differential pressure of the conventional unit.
The Framo report says that high-boost pumps are available commercially and similar units are functioning in field installations around the world. More than 20 pumps of the design are operating and collectively have more than 900,000 accumulated run hours.
11/04/2009
