Shell orders filtration systems for deepwater Gato do Mato FPSO offshore Brazil

Shell has contracted Cleanova to supply filtration systems for the new Gato do Mato FPSO, to be installed in 2,000 m of water, about 200 km south of Rio de Janeiro, according to an Oct. 14 Cleanova press release.

The FPSO will have the capacity to produce up to 120,000 bbl/d and up to 384 MMcf/d of gas, and crude storage for 850,000 bbl.

Cleanova says its filtration systems will maintain product quality and operational efficiency through preventing contamination and damage to equipment.

Macer Braidwood, the company’s global market manager, said the filters are “designed for heavy dirt loads, meaning fewer filter changes, while offering extremely fine filtration for maximum particulate capture. The polypropylene filter elements in these systems are only five microns, which is roughly 20 times thinner than a human hair.”

The company will supply sulfate removal units (SRU) and cleaning-in-place (CIP) filters. Each filtration system will be capable of removing high volumes of solid contaminant of between one and 90 microns to β5000 efficiency levels, the company said, with minimal impact on process parameters. 

The SRU system will remove sulfates from the seawater prior to injection into the oil reservoir, helping to safeguard against scale formation and souring. The CIP unit will filter out particulates and residue dislodged during cleaning, which should hinder contaminants from reentering the system.

Each of the company’s HC filter cartridges is said to feature a layered and pleated media structure, which is optimized to maximize particle capture over a wide range of particulate sizes. The outside-to-inside flow design, coupled with the O-Ring seal, is said to provide effective removal of contaminants and a higher dirt-holding capacity.

Cleanova expects to deliver the SRU and CIP filter systems next July.