DOT 2011: The Subsea/Deepwater AUV-HPU - A Solution to BOP Limitations

    Oct. 5, 2011
    The need for major upgrade of the subsea BOP is now qualified by the BP Accident Investigation Report of September 2010.

    Following is an abstract of a presentation that will be featured at the Deep Offshore Technology International Conference & Exhibition in New Orleans, Oct. 11-13:

    John Donaldson, INPROD Pty. Ltd.

    The need for major upgrade of the subsea BOP is now qualified by the BP Accident Investigation Report of September 2010. The limitations of accumulator-based BOP hydraulic systems below 5,000 ft (1,524 m) of water have been known for some time – but to date little has been done to provide the level of operational assurance demanded by governments, regulators, and field owners.

    This paper outlines the now mature autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) technology solution. The AUV, combined with battery energy storage supplying an electric motor driving a hydraulic pump (to create a subsea hydraulic power unit) can provide major functional improvements. This equipment package addresses all non-ram issues identified in BP Report Accident Investigation Report – per Section 6 – BOP.

    This paper presents an analysis of the issues that impose the 5,000 ft (1,524 m) barrier to the accumulator solution for BOP hydraulics. It then addresses the key findings of the BP Report for Deepwater Horizon; in respect of hydraulic power for BOPs and its flow on to other fluid power driven devices. The paper outlines the AUV-HPU as available component technologies that can be integrated to provide a full solution to each of the non-ram issues identified from Deepwater Horizon. In particular, the realization that “one-shot” is just not good enough.

    This presentation will be featured at the Deep Offshore Technology (DOT) Conference & Exhibition in New Orleans. It is scheduled for 9 a.m., Thursday Oct. 13, in Suite B Room 12 of the Hilton Riverside.

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