Deepstar – Technology Development for Deepwater Research - Phase IX
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The DeepStar project is a joint industry technology development project focused on advancing the technologies to meet its members' deepwater business needs to deliver increased production and reserves. Phase IX is the current phase of the project.
Deepstar – Technology Development for Deepwater Research - Phase IX
The DeepStar project is a joint industry technology development project focused on advancing the technologies to meet its members' deepwater business needs to deliver increased production and reserves. Phase IX is the current phase of the project.
DeepStar Phase IX commenced in January 2008 with nine Oil Company Participants. DeepStar participants represent a strong mix of large and mid-size operators, USA and non-USA based, drawing in a rich array of diverse expertise to address common deepwater challenges. DeepStar currently has over 50 service and vendor company Contributor Members.
The Phase IX focus is the following key deepwater challenges:
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Ultradeepwater development: Consisting ofSeafloor boosting, Subsea systems, Risers in 10,000’ water depth and Unconventional flowlines.
Enhanced well productivity and recovery: Consisting of Subsea boosting & artificial lift and Remote well test pressure monitoring.
Flow assurance: Consisting of Asphaltene deposition simulation & validation,Hydrate kinetics & plugging and Cold Restart.
Drilling, completion and intervention paradigm shifts.
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Phase IX Projects
9000 – Geosciences Committee
9001 – Improved Subsalt Imaging Using a Multi-component Propagator and Converted Waves
This project will develop a method to improve sub-salt imaging using an MC elastic propagator and converted wave paths.
9100 – Regulatory Committee
9101 – Permit Cycle Risk Reduction—Emerging Technologies
To review the new proposed Early Production Systems and sub systems like risers, artificial lift,etc. against the existing regulatory framework and specific industry standards and specifications to determine if any gaps exist and to outline an action plan on addressing those (regulatory) gaps.
9200 – Flow Assurance Committee
9201 – Asphaltene Deposition: Simulation Tool and Test Protocol
Develop test methodology and simulation tools to forecast the occurrence and magnitude of asphaltene deposition. Mechanisms of deposit formation including kinetic effects, agglomeration, and deposit morphology will be modeled and tested. Develop test methodology and simulation tools to forecast the occurrence and magnitude of asphaltene deposition. Mechanisms of deposit formation including kinetic effects, agglomeration, and deposit morphology will be modeled and tested.
9202 – Hydrate Blockage Formation—Restart Investigations
Investigate the effects of geometry, brine, water cut, and liquid loading on restart operations. As hydrate blockage and formation are multiphase flow problems, flow patterns and velocity will also be investigated.
9203 – A Hydrate Plugging Model for High Water Cuts
Develop a Hydrate blockage model with the added complexity for analysis of high water cut systems. This new model will be based on physical measurements using a range of macro- and meso-scale experiments.
9300 – Subsea Systems Committee
9301 – AVU Project
Scope of Work Redirected. Overall objective to utilize AUVs for tasks typically performed by ROVs.
9302 – Flowline Burial for Insulation
Definitively determine the scope of flowline burial application for insulation within the constraints of product, flowline length, inlet temperature, and soil shear strength.
9400 – Floating Systems Committee
9401 – VIV Data Analysis, Methods and Guidelines
Provide high quality data sets to experts in VIV and software development for the purpose of extracting key points regarding VIV physics; developing and validating computer programs for VIV fatigue analysis that incorporate physically accurate models; and updating VIV design guidelines.
9402 – Determine Remaining Life of Polyester Rope Moorings
Confirm a hypothesis (from MMS work) to determine that a polyester mooring system’s life will safely exceed the project’s design life. "20-hurricane" cycling test results are needed from other rope manufacturers besides the one used in the MMS tests. The hypothesis is based on a maximum strain theory, rather than the stress based theory used in API RP 2SM.
9500 – Drilling and Completion Committee
9501 – GoM Ultra-deep Riserless Mud Recovery JIP—Feasibility Study and Planning
Perform detailed planning to execute a Riserless Mud Recovery offshore demonstration using the AGR system (modified for 12,000 fsw) and the JOIDES Resolution. Detailed planning will yield an executable roadmap covering the" who, what, when, where, why and how" the demonstration could be performed in FY 2009.
9700 – Reservoir Engineering Committee
9701 – Remote Reservoir Pressure Monitoring in Abandoned Appraisal
Wells—Phase 2
Phase 2 - Deployment:
- Bring leading technologies from Phase 1 to full commercial deployment in deepwater.
- Close integration, installation and reliability issues such that technology is applied routinely.
- Demonstrate the technology.
9702 – Lookback Study of Appraisal Programs
The objectives of this CTR include:
- Understand the effectiveness of appraisal programs—determine if the number of appraisal wells and data collected correlates to the success of the field development.
- Transfer results/technology via database.
9800 – Met-Ocean Committee
9801 – Topographic Rossby Wave Modeling and Measurements
Topographic Rossby waves (TRWs) can generate currents of 2 kt over much of the water column along the Sigsbee Escarpment which runs through the Walker Ridge and Green Canyon regions of the GOM. This work will collect more field measurements and improve models for predicting TRWs.
9900 – Systems Engineering Committee
9901 – Techno-Economic Evaluations of Emerging Technologies
Provides resources for techno-economic studies to evaluate new technologies and novel application of current technology as they are identified and proposed by various committees.
9902 - EPS Development
This particular CTR is an extension to the initial CTR 8901-2 and aims take the key issues identified from the previous work and develop them in greater detail. The studies identified include the development of a Basic Business Case which will confirm the direction that the current CTR needs to take.
Claudio Paschoa
Paschoa, Claudio
Claudio Paschoa is Marine Technology Reporter's correspondent in Brazil.
Email: [email protected]
February 2024
