Marine Technology Reporter Blogs

New discovery at the Tupi field confirms Tupi potential and another new discovery in an ANP block, to be included in onerous concession contract with Petrobras.In early April 2010 Petrobras Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. announced that it finalized the drilling of another well in the Tupi field which confirms the potential of the pre-salt reservoirs in that field. The new well, 3-BRSA-795-RJS (3-RJS-666), and informally known as Tupi OW, is located in the area of the Tupi Evaluation Plan, at a depth of 2,131 meters, nearly 270 km of the coast of Rio de Janeiro, and 12.5 km northeast of the discovery well, 1-RJS-628 (1-BRSA-369), known as Tupi.

The Petrobras oil-water subsea separator pilot project includes the qualification test, design and construction of a prototype to be installed in the Marlim Field, at the Campos Basin.During the OTC 2010 in Houston, Petrobras unveiled its subsea oil-water separation, which is being developed by FMC Technologies. This system will push the limits of the subsea three-phase separation envelope to deep waters and heavy oil. Petrobras and FMC are performing an extensive qualification test program for the key components of the separation unit. The increasing produced water rate, its respective treatment costs and limited processing capacity at the existing platforms are the main drivers for Petrobras to move towards a subsea three-phase separation and reinjection system.

A look at how DP systems work and their importance to ships, vessels and rigs working on offshore O&G operations. The main contribution Kongsberg has made to the offshore O&G industry was by developing DP systems for diving support vessels in the 1970s. This significantly increased the efficiency and safety of diving operations. Since then, the offshore and maritime industries have benefited from the advances made to their DP systems. In more recent years these advances have been applied to the cruise industry with dynamic positioning systems for maneuvering and the complex task of precise position keeping. For optimal deepwater drilling the Kongsberg Riser Management System (RMS) assists in all phases of the drilling operation.

With the continued growth and the high potential of the Brazilian O&G market, the demand for Kongsberg DP systems in ships, support vessels, FPSOs and MODUs is steadily increasing and Kongsberg Maritime do Brasil S.A is expanding and enhancing its presence and investments in the country. Kongsberg Maritime AS, has been engaged in various technological areas related to marine activities for more than 50 years and have been present in Brazil since 1980. They are continuously making efforts to develop their products, organization and employees to accommodate client needs. For their Brazilian operation this focus on client needs is being enhanced by increasing their physical presence in Brazil.

Sperry Drilling is a Halliburton brand which has a long history in the O&G drilling market and is an acknowledged global leader in groundbreaking technologies, such as MWD/LWD, multilateral drilling, and real-time applications.Sperry Drilling is leading the industry in drilling wells faster, safer and more accurately. They optimize drilling efficiency through increasing rate of penetration and lowering non-productive time. They place wells precisely to maximize reservoir drainage, real-time operations are core to deliver, from remotely operating rigs to consultant solutions. For more than 75 years, Sperry Drilling has been delivering high-quality drilling and geological services critical to safe and efficient drilling operations.

The Sevan Driller is a one of a kind deepwater and harsh environment driller which has arrived in Brazil and is preparing to start operations for Petrobras in the Campos Basin.Sevan Marine has developed a cylinder shaped floater, suitable for all offshore environments, using their own proprietary technology. Presently, Sevan Marine has four FPSO contracts, including the Goliat Sevan 1000 FPSO, and three drilling contracts with clients. One of their cylindrical FPSOs, the Sevan Piranema is already in operations in Brazil for Petrobras on an 11 year fixed contract with 6 x 1 year options  + 5 x 1 year mutually agreed . The FPSO Sevan Piranema has performed with consistently high production uptime levels since its start up in October 2007.

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. 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.

The all-electric intelligent completion system has evolved for deep and ultra deepwater. When the world's first all-electric intelligent completion was installed in a subsea deepwater well in the Campos Basin, it was the culmination of five years of development, testing and trials. System acceptance was mild, but with the improvements that have been made and the vital role this system will have in ultra deepwater plays, its future looks very bright.On Aug. 3, 2003, the world's first subsea, deepwater, all-electric intelligent completion system was installed in the 8-MLS-67HA-RJS well, in 3,540 ft (1,180 m) of water at Marlim Sul field. The well is about 60 miles (100 km) offshore at the Campos basin, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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. DeepStar 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. The Deepstar project provides a forum and creates and  a deepwater continually updates technology databases in key areas of deepwater E&P  for its members to access in order  to support them in  planning and executing deepwater technology development projects .

The Society for Underwater Technology Technical Conference 2010 in Rio de Janeiro discusses the main challenges to be faced in Deepwater O&G exploration and examines the many possible solutions through technological innovations.The challenges faced in exploring deepwater O&G reservoirs are truly incredible. Quoting the visionary Brazilian businessman and investor Eike Batista, himself a player in the O&G industry, “The pre-salt is like going to the moon”. Pre-salt E&P is certainly not the only challenge in deepwater development, but most specialists in the area of deepwater subsea systems development agree that it may be the biggest challenge…

Among the many challenges facing E&P in the Brazilian deepwater pre-salt plays, is that of anchoring the flowlines, platforms, FPSOs and even buoys to the seabed which can be over 2000 meters deep. Petrobras has developed a simple and efficient method of doing this through the Torpedo Pile.In the case of the deepwater pre-salt plays in Brazil, specially at the Santos Basin, the distance from land to some of the proven plays like Tupi and Iara, which are around 300km from shore and pose complex logistics problems even on surface structures. Challenges, such as how to anchor a deepwater rig or FPSO to the seabed 2,200 meters down must be resolved. It is a long distance for anchors to travel, normally four or more anchors are used and these anchors need to be aligned.

BW Offshore’s technology division APL is set to make its South American debut following a contract win to supply Maersk Contractors with a Submerged Turret Production (STP) system for use in Brazil’s Peregrino field.Maersk Contractors is converting one of its new VLCCs into an FPSO for the project and APL will design, fabricate and deliver an internal turret and mooring system for integration inside the FPSO. This includes the STP buoy/turret, the APL swivel stack and mooring lines. APL will also deliver the STP compartment structures. “We are very pleased to be the selected partner for this project and to have the opportunity to continue providing technology and services to one of our key clients,” says Arild Saudland, project manager APL.

The Society for Underwater Technology Technical Conference in Rio de Janeiro discusses the main challenges to be faced in Deepwater O&G exploration and examines the many possible solutions through technological innovations.The second day of the conference continued after the coffee break with FMC representatives speaking about their Field Development Toolbox to Enable Optimization and Best Value to Exploit Fields. This consists of an advanced 3D graphical design tool, consisting of a series of modules which enable a field development model to be defined and optimized. This presentation was followed by an interesting talk by researchers from the University of Strathclyde…

The Society for Underwater Technology Technical Conference in Rio de Janeiro discusses the main challenges to be faced in Deepwater O&G exploration and examines the many possible solutions through technological innovations. Summary of the first presentations during the second day of the conference.The second day of the SUT Technical Conference started off with keynote speaker David Brookes, Chief engineer Subsea and Floating Systems for BP. Mr. Brookes has been with BP since 1979 and has been in various subsea related positions within the company, been an acknowledged specialist is subsea system. His was an inspiring presentation about the perspectives on subsea development…

From seismic data analysis to intelligent wells, the challenges facing deep water O&G production in Brazil are being faced.Just five years ago, many of the technologies we now take for granted in subsea systems development, would have been considered improbable, at best. Although, these same technologies have been under development by players and specially by the major subsea systems providers for a decade and in many cases quite a bit longer than that. There is no doubt in the subsea industry that most deepwater subsea system experiments started in the North Sea and some old deepwater projects in the GOM, with few early projects being conducted in the very peculiar Brazilian Deep.

OGX Petróleo e Gás Participações S.A., the largest Brazilian private sector oil and gas company in terms of offshore exploratory acreage, announced today that it has completed the drilling of well 1-OGX-5-RJS, located in block BM-C-43, in the shallow waters of the southern part of the Campos Basin. OGX holds a 100% working interest in this block. The well OGX-5 was drilled to a depth of 4,100 meters, resulting in the detection of hydrocarbons in carbonate reservoirs in the Albian and Aptian sections. Cable tests performed after the conclusion of drilling also identified an oil-bearing column in the Maastrichtian section, from which oil samples were collected.

Baker Hughes Centrilift ESP system pumps can be found in various important Petrobras plays. Petrobras has been using the Baker Hughes Centrilift subsea pressure boosting system in the deepwater Jubarte Field offshore Brazil in the Campos Basin for about three years now. The one megawatt electrical submersible pumping system (ESP) was installed at Jubarte in November 2005, but was not brought on line until 2007, following hook up of the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel. The system is producing approximately 22,000 BPD in 4,600 feet of water. Petrobras installed at least eight additional vertical booster stations using ESP technology at Jubarte in the months following the first system going online..

MCS was founded in Galway, Ireland, in 1983. From small beginnings as an offshoot of the University of Galway, its directors have created a dynamic, ambitious and forward thinking company which has achieved a world class reputation and standing for its advanced engineering capability and software. Employing almost 200 people located in key oil and gas hubs around the world – Aberdeen, Houston, Rio, Perth, Paris and Kuala Lumpur they deliver complex systems solutions to demanding clients. From front-end feasibility studies to redevelopment studies and integrity reviews we cover life-of-field engineering for subsea developments and floaters. We can safely say we are the largest riser consultancy in the world.nts worldwide.

The two new discoveries in one well, announced by Petrobras last Thursday, strengthen the thesis pertaining to the possibility of the existence of a great reservoir beneath the salt layer of the Campos Basin. The Campos Basin pre-salt shows its potential even if volumes are less than at the Santos Basin, as various factors related to logistics, production timeline and development costs make this possibility very attractive to players and specially to Petrobras. As is widely known, the Campos Basin is presently responsible for over 80% of the Brazilian O&G production. The discoveries indicate the existence of hydrocarbons in both the pre-salt and the post-salt layers in a single well at the Barracuda field in the Campos Basin, 100km from the coast of  Rio de Janeiro.

PRAVAP (Advanced Oil Recovery Program) began in 1993, when there was a need to create technological projects for the company to increase the recovery factor of its fields, prolonging its production on an economic and environmentally correct basis. PRAVAP main objectives are to provide and advance technological solutions that increase the recovery factor of oil fields, for optimum economy and permit exploration of fields considered under-commercial due to restrictions in existing technology. PRAVAP is organized in systemic projects, which are groups of research projects with a common objective. Wells - Its focus is on various technologies applicable in the well-formation interface…