As Petrobras continues to push the envelope in deeper water offshore Brazil in the Espírito Santo, Campos, and Santos basins, demand for floating production systems (FPSs) is expected to increase alongside investment, Douglas-Westwood projects in its outlook on the sector.
One such deepwater megaproject expected to come online in the next two years using more efficient FPSO technology to streamline offshore production operations in the region is the Papa Terra field. Discovered in 2003 in 1,189 m (3,900 ft) water depth in the BC-20 Block in the Campos basin, the US $5.2 billion development is expected to come online via the P-63 FPSO connecting to Brazil’s first tension-leg well platform (TLWP), the P-61. A final investment decision (FID) for Papa Terra, which is estimated to recover up to 380 MMbbl of oil according to Chevron, Petrobras’ joint venture partner in the field, was made in January 2010.
Following the FID, in May 2011 a contract was signed between Finland’s Wärtsilä Corp. and Brazilian industrial group QUIP SA to provide flexible fuel technology, with the companies supplying three main power modules as part of the P-63 FPSO conversion of a BW Offshore 323,000 dwt ultra-large crude carrier (ULCC), the BW Nisa.
The integrated power modules are scheduled to be installed on the vessel in January 2012.
Powering Papa Terra
Speaking at a media event held recently in Dalian, Liao Ning Province, China, Magnus Miemois, offshore vice president, Wärtsilä, said the P-63 is unique in that it will be the first FPSO to use gas engines to produce more than 100 MWe at a cost of US $100 million from three topside power modules.
The Wärtsilä-engineered power modules on order from QUIP featuring Wärtsilä’s gas-fired offshore power solution was on display to select media at Cosco Dalian Shipyard, where the ULCC BW Nisa is undergoing its P-63 FPSO conversion. Here, the company is delivering EPC services consisting of commissioning, startup, and operational supervision.
The integrated power modules include two 18-cylinder Wärtsilä 50DF multifuel engines in V-configuration that will run on treated gas and crude siphoned from the well, in addition to marine diesel oil (MDO).
By using fuel directly from the wellhead as part of a “power plant solution” for offshore oil and gas production based on the company’s tri-fuel technology, operating costs will be significantly reduced since virtually no MDO will need to be shipped to the FPSO, Miemois said.
The 18V50DF engine can operate at 514 r/min for 60 Hz applications with a 500-mm bore and 580-mm stroke and can produce 16,700 kW gross output at site conditions. Designed for continuous operation in gas mode at loads between 15% and 100%, the engines are started with pilot fuel injection, and when combustion is stabilized in all 18 cylinders, the gas is activated. At loads below 15%, the Wärtsilä engines automatically switch to diesel mode.
In addition to the fuel flexibility provided by the engines, the power modules also incorporate alternators and other auxiliary equipment designed to increase reliability, availability, and efficiency to improve offshore operations, Miemois explained.
“We have seen increased interest in associated and processed gas power plant solutions,” Miemois said, adding that this type of integrated technology has been transferable to offshore solutions like the P-63 project. Its gas-fired power technology also will help to significantly lower the levels of CO emissions compared to conventional technologies, with carbon emissions potentially reduced by as much as 93,000 tons per year.
This is particularly important for reducing operating costs as well as the environmental footprint on megaprojects like Papa Terra.
Once fully operational, the P-63 will be capable of processing approximately 140,000 b/d of crude oil, 35 MMcf/d of gas, and 325,000 b/d of produced water. The vessel also will have facilities that will inject approximately 340,000 b/d of seawater.
Floating production focus
Wärtsilä has had operations in Brazil for more than 20 years and, among other things, has performed regular service on rigs Petrobras has acquired second hand.
According to Miemois, the company landed its first floating production project – the P-34 – for Petrobras in the mid 1990s, and the company has since been involved in a handful of FPSO conversions over the years, including the P-43, P-31, P-47, P-38, and P-08 vessels.
“Our involvement in these projects was, of course, significantly smaller compared to our role in the P-63 project,” he said.
With long-term demand for fossil fuels driving operators to tap hydrocarbons in deeper reservoirs, the Brazil market also is providing longevity for the company’s marine and offshore technical services and support and integrated solutions for vessel automation systems, thruster positioning systems, engines, and remote monitoring systems. The increasing focus, Miemois noted, has been on providing cutting-edge solutions for the floating production sector.
“The key words in this arena are lifecycle and technology,” Miemois said. “We partner with the client for the lifetime of their asset, and we want to be among the leaders in offshore technology R&D, with most of our efforts aimed at greater efficiency and improved environmental standards. And Brazil has successively moved up to be one of our key offshore markets for these strategies.”
As for deepwater development spurring the need for more innovative and cost-efficient FPSs, Miemois said the company will maintain a long-term presence offshore South America to meet this demand. “In terms of growth, Brazil represents potential that other markets just cannot match.”
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