Sulzer and FMC Technologies have received a subsea multiphase boosting pump contract to upgrade one of the pumping modules in Shell’s Parque das Conchas, a deepwater oil field off the coast of Brazil, Sulzer said in a news release.

The pump modifications suit the specifics of the oil field with a high shut-in pressure of 517 bar (7,500 psi), the release said.

The Parque das Conchas, also known as the Shell BC-10 Field, is located about 120 km (75 miles) southeast of the Brazilian coastal city of Vitória. The BC-10 asset has water depths ranging from 1,500 to 2 000 meters. It is operated by Shell, with a 50% working interest. ONGC Videsh and Qatar Petroleum International are joint venture partners with 27% and 23%, respectively.

The subsea pump will be manufactured from a global supply chain with a large amount of assembly and testing conducted at Sulzer’s facilities in the United Kingdom, according to the release.

Sulzer said the advantage of the mudline pump is that it fits into an existing infrastructure with minor and cost-efficient modifications, yet is smaller and lighter than the pump it replaces. The pump achieves the necessary oil volume and boosting outputs, the company added.

The subsea pump will be launched in the field in 2017.

Offshore