BP addresses Schiehallion emulsion build-up

Offshore staff

ABERDEEN, UK --BP has chosen Aibel's vessel internal electrostatic coalescer (VIEC) technology to improve oil and water separation on its Schiehallion field FPSO.

Since the floater started up at its location, west of Shetland, in 1998 it has experienced problems during separation caused by stabile emulsions that have restricted production.

Before selecting the VIEC technique, BP commissioned a front-end engineering design study by Wood Group, tests on oil from Schiehallion, and a computational fluid dynamics study by Aibel.

By end-April Aibel will deliver two VIEC walls which will be installed in the first-stage separator of the FPSO's separator train A during a planned shutdown in July.

04/22/2008