Framo Engineering: A major contributor to subsea technology development in Bergen

Framo Engineering has developed a complete range of pumps to meet offshore petroleum market demands.

Having developed multi-phase pump systems since the 1980s, Framo Engineering today supplies those that incorporate all equipment necessary for integration with subsea production systems and which can be operated safely from topside SCADA systems via the variable speed drives and pump controls located in dedicated Power and Control Modules (PCMs) or in local equipment rooms.

At the same time, the company is a major supplier of swivel stack and fluid transfer systems for both FSO and FPSO applications. Framo swivel and turret systems are installed aboard a large number of floating production systems in most major offshore oil and gas provinces around the world. The swivels and fluid transfer systems are robust; securing excellent uptime for what is a very critical system for floating production system operators.

Perhaps foremost among Framo Engineering’s products – many resulting from extensive research and development in joint projects with major producing companies – are its multi-phase and wet gas meters, which have dominated the subsea and topside market due to their accuracy, flexibility, and robustness. Customers rely on Framo’s use of Vx technology to monitor and optimize their reservoirs.

When installed topside, Framo multi-phase metering systems deliver continuous monitoring of well performance and can even replace conventional separator systems. As a solution for subsea infrastructure, such systems are installed for continuous monitoring of single wells or mounted on test headers for alternate well testing.

West Africa contract

As an example of its worldwide product approval, Framo announced in late 2010 a contract with Total E&P Angola to supply a subsea pumping system for the CLOV deepwater development project off Angola, West Africa

Under the contract, Framo will supply:

• A suction anchor
• A Framo FDS subsea pump module with two Framo Hx multi-phase pumps
• An umbilical system
• A topside PCM.

The CLOV development comprises the Cravo, Lirio, Orquidea, and Violeta fields. A total of 34 subsea wells will tieback to an FPSO unit, which has a processing capacity of 160,000 b/d and a storage capacity of 1.78 MMbbl. The Framo FDS module will be located downstream from the four production manifolds to boost the Miocene oil production back to the FPSO.

Delivery of the system to Angolan waters is expected in 2013.

In addition to the CLOV contract, Framo Engineering also recently received a contract order from Total Angola for 10 additional subsea multi-phase flow meters (MPFMs) for the Dalia deepwater oil field, also off Angola. When the newest meters are delivered sometime later this year, Framo will have supplied 37 MPFMs to the Dalia field alone.

Partnership working well

Framo Engineering also announced at year-end that under its arrangement with Schlumberger – begun in 1998 – it has sold nearly 1,200 MPFMs equipped with Vx technology around the world.

In fact, Framo officials note, the company’s patented PhaseWatcher Vx is finding an ever-increasing level of acceptance. As a consequence, the PhaseWatcher Vx is now established as the preferred MPFM of choice by operators.

The Framo-Schlumberger partnership as resulted in optimized strengths in process engineering and well testing. This, along with Framo’s product center, 3-Phase Measurements A/S, outstanding research centers (Norway, UK, and USA), manufacturing, testing facilities in Bergen, and support services around the world, has established and recognized the PhaseWatcher Vx as “Best in Class” for production management, well testing and fiscal allocation.

The advanced MPFM technology associated with PhaseWatcher Vx allows operators to measure oil, gas, and water flow rates without bulky separation. Since it requires less instrumentation and is essentially maintenance-free, the PhaseWatcher Vx represents the most compact multi-phase meter on the market, say company officials.

The Vx technology is the core of the PhaseWatcher Vx (permanently installed) and Phase Tester Vx (portable). Together, these MPFMs provide major performance advantages, among which are:

• The ability to measure from 0-100% Gas Volume Fraction (GFM) using oil/gas-mode or dual-mode software in the same hardware package
• Only meter with field-proven technology for dual-mode measurement
• The ability to measure fractions down to the atomic level
• Totally independent of flow regime, such as slug flow and foam or emulsions
• Erosion-resistant design
• Continuous measurement for all phases, independent of transition from oil to water continuous flow.

Based on sophisticated flow models and using nuclear detector technology, Vx technology gives high-quality, dynamic multi-phase flow measurements.

A barium-133 source and a smart detector designed specifically for this application operate at as low as reasonably achievable nonhazardous gamma ray energy levels for field operators. The highly reliable well test data obtained helps diagnose production anomalies continuously, resolve problems more quickly, and produce wells more efficiently.

According to Framo, its MPFM line has undergone more than 10,000 well tests per year with continued feedback for R&D.

At forefront of subsea power

By focusing on standardization and maintainability, Framo has developed subsea modules and building blocks that allow for light intervention and simple integration with existing or new infrastructure.