Subsea Technologies in Challenging Scenarios Solange Guedes E&P Executive Manager
Subsea Technologies in Challenging Scenarios
• Challenging Scenarios • Petrobras strategy to address the technological challenges • Development and application of new technologies • Conclusion
Challenging Scenarios
CHALLENGING SCENARIOS • Existing challenges before pre-salt discovery: – Mature Fields – high water cut; – existing production units limited in processing and injection capacities; – reservoirs need of pressure maintenance for oil recovery; – extending life of existing equipment, risers, pipelines and FPUs. – Marginal Fields – small leads in remote area or within medium distances from existing FPU. – New Fields – heavy oil (API < 22); – ultra-deep waters (> 1500 m).
• Pre-Salt issues
PRE SALT PROVINCE
Well Tested HC Campus Exploratory blocks Pre-salt Reservoirs
PRE-SALT CHALLENGING SCENARIO
Pre-Salt - a new scenario • Ultra deep water conditions • Risers • Flow assurance
• Logistics • 300 km from shore; • Lack of infrastructure.
• Fluids with contaminants
FLOW ASSURANCE CHALLENGES Wax deposition and oil gelling • Strategy: balance between maximum pipeline length, thermal insulation and pigging development of chemical inhibitors as contingency start-up procedure based on laboratory experiments for gel strength and simulations
For Tupi lead, no major challenges.
Offshore field, Brazil
Onshore field, Brazil
FLOW ASSURANCE CHALLENGES
• Hydrates in Pre-Salt, may be aggravated by WAG recovery and high CO2 content • Prevention strategy using thermal insulation and operational procedures
Possible inorganic scale tendency for carbonates and sulfates Inhibition by downhole continuous chemical injection Periodical squeeze operations Low sulfate sea water injection
RISER AND SUBSEA PIPELINE CHALLENGES • Deepwater riser solutions already available
Flexible pipe riser
Free Standing Hybrid Riser
Steel Catenary Riser
RISER AND SUBSEA PIPELINE CHALLENGES • NEW DEVELOPMENTS UNDERWAY
– Qualification of subsea flexible pipes for 2500 m of water depth and for fluids with contaminants (CO2 and H2S). – Basic design of steel lazy wave riser: carbon steel pipe with metallurgically bonded internal clad
Inconel clad pipe
SLWR (Steel Lazy Wave Riser)
Petrobras strategy to address the technological challenges
CORPORATE TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRAMS
TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM ON NEW EXPLORATORY FRONTIERS
PHASED FIELD DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT Production pilots enable risk reduction through better understanding of the reservoir behavior and allow testing new technologies that will be considered on the definitive development system
Jubarte Field: artificial lift by electrical submersible pump, being the pump located out of the well, just above the subsea tree, 1070 m horizontal well in unconsolidated sandstone with OHGP, topside heavy oil processing, …..
Deployment of new technologies
SUBSEA RAW WATER INJECTION Enable water injection in the field with only minor modifications on the existing Floating Production Unit.
• 1000 m WD • 50 µm filter • Nitrate and bactericide injection Intake pipe
SRWI station
Injection well # 2
Injection well # 1
Injection well # 1 Three units for Albacora - starting operation in 2010
SUBSEA PUMPING SYSTEMS Achieve increased flow rates in deepwater application using ESP, with no need to enter the well to replace the pump.
• Mudline ESP in dummy well or on a skid
Jubarte, Golfinho, Espadarte and Cascade-Chinook
MULTIPHASE HELICO-AXIAL PUMPING Boost production of deepwater subsea well (tieback to P-48 platform).
• • • •
P-48
Helico-axial Pump
Barracuda - starting operation in 2011
20 API; 80 m³/m³ GOR 1040 m WD 14 km tie-back High boost technology
SUBSEA OIL-WATER SEPARATION Platform debottlenecking, maintaining well production and water injection.
•22 API •1000 m WD •Sand handling •Demulsifier
Prototype for Marlim field, starting operation in 2011
DOWNHOLE PUMPING SYSTEMS Extending limits: high power subsea ESP in long tie-back well
• Subsea ESP (downhole ESP) – Consolidated technology; – Good experience with RJS-221, RJS-477, RJS-320 and other wells;
– 1200 hp ESP in JUB-06 well, connected to P-34 platform (as depicted)
Ongoing development for 2000 hp ESP (7 kV electrical transmission) – Marlim Leste - 2012
SUBSEA GAS-LIQUID SEPARATION Maintain production with reduced OPEX (by replacing the existing FPU by a subsea system) • • • •
Gas-Liquid separation using VASPS technology 0,5 MW near-horizontal ESP on subsea skid 25-31 API 180-290 m WD
P-9
Congro, Corvina Malhado: project to be sanctioned. (planned for 2012)
Conclusion
CONCLUSION
For mature fields applications, the subsea solutions should improve their competitiveness in terms of CAPEX;
Pre-Salt Province brings new technological opportunities that will require joint effort from operators, equipment suppliers, service companies and research institutes; Petrobras is considering the development of the following subsea systems into a roadmap approach: High Pressure Multiphase Pump Compact Water-Oil and Gas-Liquid Separation Gas Compression Electrical Distribution & Transmission High local content is required
Thank You ! Tusen Takk ! Obrigado !
