European Technology Report.5dcecb4a25432

European
Technology
Report
Courtesy Aker Solutions
NOVEMBER 2019 OFFSHORE | WWW.OFFSHORE-MAG.COM17

• EUROPEAN TECHNOLOGY REPORT
Expanded subsea campus aims to

propel deepwater technology
Features advanced manufacturing tools, processes
LORENZO ROMAGNOLI, BAKER HUGHES
SUBSEA TECHNOLOGY is a part of the industry experiencing

huge advancements, largely due to the need for infrastructure
and equipment that can cope with the increasing challenges of
mature basins, ever deepening water, and ever narrower eco-
nomic margins.
In June 2019, Baker Hughes launched its Subsea Centre of
Excellence (CoE) in Montrose on the northeast coast of Scot-
land. A purpose-built hub of design and manufacturing, it is the
result of a £31-million ($40-million) investment by the company,
supported by a £4.9-million ($6.3-million) grant from the Scot-
tish government, through Scottish Enterprise.
The CoE has been designed to leverage the best of indus-
try innovation, engineering, manufacturing, test and assembly
facilities in the world, all in one place. Created with the specific
vision to transform deepwater technology development, it is
packed full of some of the most advanced product design and
manufacturing equipment the industry has seen.
FACTORY OF THE FUTURE

The upgraded and expanded CoE was created to encourage
product innovation on a new scale. Its systems and products
serve the worldwide energy industry mainly in the hydrocar-
bons segment. To do so, it houses a variety of advanced manu-
facturing tools and processes, which are there to improve the
design and creation of subsea architecture. These tools include: Aptara compact tree. (All images courtesy Baker Hughes)
• Virtual reality systems and digital platforms
• Automated processes, robotics The company’s existing Montrose base already contained
• Additive manufacturing with 3D printing capabilities machining and manufacturing capability. This was originally
• Laser measurement devices. created in the region, a few miles south of Aberdeen, due to its
In addition, it is the home of the ‘Aptara Design Centre’, dedi- strategically important geographic position. It has the benefit
cated to the development of the Aptara Totex-lite subsea system. of its own local port authority and excellent road links, lead-
This new family of products has been created to support life of ing directly to a reduced carbon footprint through reduced
field operations, featuring a range of lighter, modular technol- transport needs.
ogy solutions re-engineered to enhance production efficiencies When all the factors related to logistics were combined with
and introduce a ‘make-to-order’ concept in the design phase. Scotland’s reputation for engineering capability and expertise,
All of which is coordinated from Montrose. Montrose became the obvious choice to base the new CoE.
In parallel with machinery and digital systems, the 600 strong
AN ENDURING MODEL FOR THE FUTURE team of people also formed an intrinsic part of the investment.
Following the shift in industry dynamics since 2014, the Baker Indeed, the campus will develop the next generation of the
Hughes team identified a need to, in its own words, “rethink, workforce through a series of additional investments, includ-
recalibrate, and reposition the capability of future manufacturing a dedicated Montrose Learning and Development Centre
ing, while finding ways to continue bringing efficiencies to the (MDLC) on site.
business and its customers.” The training on offer will also directly support the company’s
18 WWW.OFFSHORE-MAG.COM | OFFSHORE NOVEMBER 2019

EUROPEAN TECHNOLOGY REPORT •
The introduction of automation is

helping to improve the company’s effi-
ciency on activities like welding, testing
and material-handling, i.e. its fully-au-
tomated cladding process for tubing
hangers and flexible pipe end-fittings
improves operator safety, quality, and
productivity. Also, recently introduced
was the ‘cold metal transfer’, a robot that
can improve welding operations, without
the need for human intervention. Mark-
ing a step forward in the new generation
of workplace optimization.
A SUBSEA VISION – ON LAND

This, however, seems to just be the start
of the story for the CoE. The company
plans to continue to develop and invest
in its people, technology and products,
making the site key for exporting sub-
The Subsea CoE in Montrose has the capacity to design, manufacture, and test a complete
subsea tree. sea products. In 2020, Baker Hughes will
continue to invest in the Montrose cen-
existing STEM programs, as well as initiatives within local schools. The Apprentice- ter, developing new capability in manu-
ship intake doubled in 2019 as the center looks to cement its strategically important facturing and technology development.
position in the global energy industry, not only now but over the long term.
INDUSTRY 4.0
This sustainable outlook is reinforced by the developments to manufacturing capa-
bilities within the CoE, in particular when it comes to subsea trees. It has the capac-
ity to design, manufacture, and test a complete subsea tree, all under one roof. And
not just any tree, for the first time a complete subsea tree system can be built and
shipped with the most advanced technology systems in the world.
Production machinery is digitally connected to advanced systems so that data
can be downloaded in real time, and then programed to create an optimization algo-
rithm. In turn this enhances the process, making each product in the most efficient
and productive way possible.
Taking the impact of digital technology further still, the power of virtual reality has The campus features virtual reality systems
galvanized the technology research and development process. It gives the CoE team and digital platforms.
the ability to recreate and simulate the assembly procedures of a product, time and
time again, with improvements made and elements thoroughly tested in the virtual Developing a subsea project today is
world at every stage of design. no mean feat. Mature areas, remote loca-
This means that more than simply testing and assembling trees, the CoE team can tions, arctic temperatures, high pressure
simulate the engineering design upfront; continuously optimizing and refining the and temperature, and marginal reser-
design and ultimately eliminating defects before the physical assembly of any piece voirs mean that every project has its own
of equipment. unique set of challenges.
The CoE has further innovated tree manufacturing by introducing additive manu- New infrastructure needs to be more
facturing (3D printing) capability for the first time. This was inspired by aviation – an robust than ever before, and requires expe-
industry that shares a need with the energy industry, to continually evolve to create safe, rience and technology to be able to con-
efficient and technologically advanced components. Because of that, until now, many sistently adapt to everything the industry
companies have tried to minimize unscheduled downtime by maintaining large stores throws at it. This CoE is not just about man-
of critical spare parts. The process, therefore, allows for simplified manufacturing of ufacturing efficiency, it is about building
components that can reduce costs and enhance performance accelerating the product a sustainable industry through advanced
development through rapid prototyping and shortening the development cycle of oil design and manufacturing. Bringing ben-
and gas components, thereby reducing the time it takes to proceed with full production. efits now and well into the future. •

‘World-first’ resident subsea drone

to operate at Njord for Equinor
Hydrone vehicles taking inspection, intervention to new level
JEREMY BECKMAN, EDITOR, EUROPE
EQUINOR’S NJORD Future project in the Norwegian Sea is the

first confirmed setting for Saipem’s new Hydrone subsea drones. In
September, the Norwegian major awarded the company a 10-year
contract to support drilling and inspections/interventions on sub-
sea facilities at Njord and other satellite fields in the area. The pro-
gram will take effect next year when production resumes through
the upgraded Njord A semisubmersible platform.
Hydrone-R in night time trials off Trieste.
Equinor’s technical specifications and requirements. Finally, Saipem

has been working on the Hydrone program since 2015 with a global
business vision and a deployment plan for various subsea fields in
the world’s key energy areas. This may have given Equinor the nec-
Hydrone-R undergoing endurance trials in open sea in Trieste port, essary assurance that aside from the benefits of the technology we
northeast Italy, at daytime. (All images courtesy Saipem) have incorporated operational inputs from other subsea applications.”
There are, in fact, three vehicles in the Hydrone series, the other
Sonsub, Saipem’s business division for Life of Field, Underwater being the FlatFish (or Hydrone-S), an evolution of the Flatfish con-
Technology and Subsea Processing, is currently putting the under- cept initially developed by Shell Brasil under the Brazilian National
water intervention drone (UID) Hydrone-R through endurance Petroleum Agency (ANP) R&D levy program for deepwater oper-
trials at a test bed and in open sea offshore Trieste, northeast Italy. ations. Sonsub obtained an exclusive license for the industrializa-
Once these have finished, the vehicle should be ready to start oper- tion and commercialization for oil and gas applications that Sonsub
ations at Njord next year, performing light interventions and subsea is pursuing with its Brazilian robotics team in collaboration with
inspections and potentially functioning autonomously for months SENAI Cimatec, a Brazilian academic center in Salvador, Bahia.
in between scheduled maintenance.
Sonsub expects to complete development and testing of the DUAL-ROLE SUBSEA TASKS
all-electric work class ROV Hydrone-W in 2021, at which point it From the outset, Sonsub envisioned the Hydrone program as a
will be ready to undertake heavy intervention and other tasks via a set of different vehicles with different mission profiles for specific
tether connection to Njord A. Saipem’s Norway division will super- Life of Field subsea applications, Di Silvestro said. “Hydrone-R is a
vise the two vehicles from Njord A and from shore, via proprietary hybrid AUV/ROV. Like a traditional ROV, it can do interventions
remote control technologies. via manipulators, but it can also operate autonomously, as an AUV,
Roberto Di Silvestro, head of Sonsub, commented: “We believe performing inspections.”
that Equinor’s decision to select Hydrone was primarily for three According to Sonsub, Hydrone-R will be the world’s first com-
reasons. First, our Hydrone technology is mature: SIT and EFAT mercially deployable resident subsea intervention drone, capa-
[Extended Factory Acceptance Test] were completed this June and ble of remaining underwater without interruptions for up to 12
the Hydrone-R is now performing an extensive endurance campaign months. In this mode the vehicle provides remote operability and
with the objective of reaching TRL5 [Technical Readiness Level 5] can be connected to subsea infrastructure via through-water com-
soon. Second, Hydrone-R and Hydrone-W not only meet but exceed munications links, covering an area within a 10 km (6 mi) radius

of open water. Another priority is demonstrating remote control

of the vehicle via its through-water communications link while in
fully autonomous mode, as this is a major issue for offshore opera-
tors, Di Silvestro said. The combination of acoustics and optics are
designed to allow the vehicle to position itself very close to the sub-
sea structure. DNV GL has been overseeing the Hydrone-R’s design
and qualification program.
The Hydrone-S is similar to a traditional AUV, Di Silvestro said,
but with a capability to hover and to traverse longer distances of
up to 50 km (31 mi). “It is designed to perform inspections, not
interventions, and it is not intended to be resident in a single field
– unless a giant – but to move from one field to another every few
Hydrone-R during tests at Sonsub headquarters in Marghera (Venice).
months. Its AI features allow it to operate fully autonomously for
following networks of subsea pipes, flowlines and umbilicals and
for more detailed inspection of subsea structures.” Industrialization
of the vehicle has finished, and the prototype should be ready for
first subsea trials in April-May 2020. The Hydrone-W, he added, is
a fully electric, remotely operated work class ROV, able to remain
resident subsea for a period of time, but not as continuously as the
other two vehicles.
Sonsub has developed two other devices under the Hydrone
program for periodic re-charging of the vehicles, mission and data
downloads. The prototype HyBase, designed for permanent deploy-
ment, was featured in the test campaign off Trieste; the other is
the HyBuoy, a smaller power/communication buoy for temporary
or permanent deployment that will be powered via wave or wind
Hydrone-R control room. energy, with subsea re-charging of the vehicle enabled via a 2-kW
subsea inductive connector.
for inspections and interventions. The distance covered could be The company is also developing what Di Silvestro describes as
extended through use of intermediate subsea docking stations (also a “flying garage” with SENAI Cimatec and Shell Brasil that would
part of the current trials), for re-charging of the vehicle and for mis- enable launch and recovery of FlatFish potentially from FPSOs or
sion downloads or survey data uploads. The vehicle’s embedded smaller support vessels. Shell/Sonsub aim to start a pilot test of the
sensors and proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) features allow it Hydrone-S/FlatFish and the ancillary equipment as soon as possi-
to undertake autonomous navigation and anomaly detection on a ble offshore Brazil, he explained, adding that other majors have also
wide range of subsea systems. been monitoring progress of the Hydrone series development. Eni,
Typical tasks foreseen range from periodic general visual inspec- for instance, has been supporting the test set-up at Trieste.
tion to assessing structural integrity (including cracks and corrosion) “In our vision, ‘Life of Field’ is an IMR engineering support concept
to close visual inspections of risers, mooring lines, anodes, insulated that involves a combination of asset management and inspection/
cables and connectors. Interventions could include installing bypass intervention. Typically, oil companies have commissioned annual
valves, rectifying leaks, and connection/disconnection of flying leads. inspections of their subsea assets, but in some cases, these are only
After the first prototype vehicle was completed in June, tests fol- performed every three years. And these campaigns have not been
lowed in July on the electronics and software at Sonsub’s facilities generating sufficient information for the industry’s present needs.
in Venice, and the 3.5 x 1.5 m (11.5 x 4.9 ft) vehicle has since been If, however, you can provide low-cost inspection with a resident
undergoing tests at the company’s marine base in Trieste where an Hydrone, you can then start generating large volumes of ‘big data’
extensive network of subsea structures has been installed includ- that allow you to really monitor any changes in the subsea asset.
ing 500 m (1,640 ft) of pipelines, and a docking station. These are You can then do preventive intervention or predictive maintenance.
positioned close to the quayside, from where the vehicle can be “When you design a pipeline and riser network to last for 25 years,
launched and recovered easily. you are forced to make a number of conservative assumptions, all of
Functional tests were due to finish by the end of October. During which leads to quite a constant capex. But if you can reduce the level
November, the vehicle was due to be taken to another location 300 of uncertainty, you can also reduce capex over the life of the field:
m (984 ft) offshore, in a water depth of 22 m (72 ft), to perform tasks the Hydrone-S, for example, can be configured to perform dialogue
such as hook-up of a pipeline end termination (PLET); pipe recogni- and analysis, using the data it has collected to assess the reliability
tion and tracking; analysis profiling based on a 3D reconstruction of of the subsea infrastructure. This is part of a movement within the
subsea structures; and navigating point-to-point in several kilometers industry towards an Internet of Subsea Things.” •

Aerial view of the Mittelplate A drilling and

production platform. (Courtesy Wintershall Dea)
Digital twin extending life of North

Sea Mittelplate platform
Improved data flow brings maintenance benefits
SEAN MACKIE, WINTERSHALL DEA
WINTERSHALL DEA’S Mittelplate drilling and production with the information they need to make better informed deci-
platform in the German North Sea and nearby Dieksand land- sions and increase long-term profitability. To help achieve this
based facility are getting a digital twin. The aim is to optimize Wintershall Dea has formed a strategic partnership with Nor-
the operations and production of the Mittelplate oilfield and wegian-based technology company Cognite.
improve maintenance and work processes on Dieksand by mak- The Mittelplate platform, which started production in 1987,
ing all necessary data available and usable so that advanced is in the Wadden Sea tidal flats off the Schleswig-Holstein
analytic and predictive tools can be deployed. This requires coast and is connected to Dieksand land via two pipelines,
new technology and new ways of working. one exporting the field’s oil, the other returning associated pro-
The digital twin will provide a complete virtual represen- duced water for re-injection. The platform, which is protected
tation of operational reality, with both real-time and historic by 11-m (36-ft) tall sheet piling, is effectively an ultra-shallow
data, making it accessible to anyone regardless of their loca- water artificial island.
tion or device. The objective is to gather all data, bring it into Mittelplate and Dieksand were chosen as a lighthouse dig-
context and visualize it using dashboards in combination with ital twin project at Wintershall Dea as the field is well-known
powerful analytical tools to provide engineers and operators beyond Germany for its high environmental and safety standards

design like a brand new one, which is the typical scenario pre-
sented at technical conferences today. However, at Mittelplate
and Dieksand the company is making significant progress and
is proving that digital transformation is achievable on any asset
regardless of its age.
Like many oil and gas companies, the problem Wintershall
Dea faced was that access to data is cumbersome as informa-
tion such as sensor data, equipment history, and other doc-
umentation are locked away in multiple systems potentially
with different data owners and system experts. This meant
that equipment alarms and personal experience were driving
maintenance analysis and decisions – not necessarily data. Of
the many problems that face data-driven decisions, a lack of
liberated, usable, and sharable operational data stands out. This
The Mittelplate platform features separate living, drilling and was one problem management wanted to tackle together with
process areas. (Courtesy Wintershall Dea) experts from the asset.
The company decided to partner with Cognite because of
as well as its long extended reach production wells. The fact its cloud-native Cognite Data Fusion technology where data
that Mittelplate is more than 30 years old does not change is not just stored but also contextualized and available as a
what the company is setting out to achieve. In fact, there is a service. Furthermore, digital transformation is not only about
benefit in being able to draw upon skilled personnel with the technology, it is in fact largely about organizational transforma-
domain knowledge needed to develop valuable digital solutions. tion. This was another area where Cognite could help as they
Of course, it is a different dynamic with an older asset. There are adept with agile ways of working, something that manage-
is not the luxury of implementing digital capabilities into the ment was eager to implement.

In May 2019, two crews were assembled consisting of domain All trends and documentation can be viewed by simply taking
experts, data scientists, data engineers, and solution architects a picture of the equipment tag number.
to develop digital solutions for the Digital Twin project using For the Smart Operations crew, another application was
Scrum methodology (an agile way of working typically used for deployed known as Asset Data Insight - a desktop application
software development). This was done from a central innovation that allows the workforce to view and compare data trends,
environment in Wintershall Dea’s office in Hamburg. create their own dashboards and infographics, and find all
With one crew, related equipment
the focus was on documents, events
the use of hand- The Digital Worker crew and time-series
piloted explosive-proof
held devices (Dig- data. Furthermore,
hand-held iSafe mobile and
ital Worker) to tablet devices on Dieksand the crew also built
help with mainte- with Cognite’s Operations decision support
nance-related tasks Support application. tools for critical
(Courtesy Wintershall Dea/
in the field; with the equipment such as
Achim Multhaupt)
other it was making multi-phase and
effective use of avail- injection pumps
able data for next as well as a com-
generation equip- prehensive main-
ment monitoring tenance overview
and maintenance tool. Having such
operations (Smart an overview of crit-
Operations) using ical equipment and
dashboards and incorporating a
analytical tools. For system of rules and
the Digital Worker alerts empowers the
crew one important engineers and oper-
The Mittelplatte
topic was to improve platform in the German ators giving them a
the way we work. North Sea. (Image better oversight of
The back and forth courtesy Wintershall their equipment.
process of checking Dea/ Christian Bruch) This will ultimately
equipment, print- increase the life-
ing checklists and time of equipment
P&IDs (piping and and reduce mainte-
instrumentation nance costs.
documents), long Prior to this proj-
walks between the ect, the project team
field and the office, had live data stored
scanning and send- in one system, main-
ing emails is very tenance information
time-consuming. in SAP, and other
Our goals were to documentation in
help workers free Documentum and
up time, rethink and file drives. Now all
reshape routines of this has been
and enable them to ingested onto Cog-
focus on more important tasks. nite Data Fusion and contextualized so that all data sources
At the end of July, the Digital Worker crew piloted explo- are connected and linked to individual pieces of equipment
sive-proof hand-held iSafe mobile and tablet devices on Diek- within an asset hierarchy all the way down to individual sensor
sand with Cognite’s Operations Support application as well as data. Having all this data structured and in context makes it
other standard Office applications. Operations Support is a much easier to deploy advanced analytical and machine learn-
web-based application and can be accessed both in the field ing tools going forward.
and office. It enables field workers to view live and historic data In addition, a 3D model of the Mittelplate and Dieksand facil-
trends of equipment, maintenance history, equipment docu- ities was also implemented, enabling users to view the platform
mentation and upload photos directly from a mobile device. and its equipment in a 3D visual environment. This allows users

to, for example, click on a piece of equipment within the Mit- the entire organization via live demonstrations on Wintershall
telplate 3D model and get instant access to live streaming data Dea’s learning platform.
as well as historic data trends and equipment documentation. The Mittelplate Digital Twin project has now been running
At the EAGE exhibition in London in June, I presented a for close to one year and many lessons have been learned. The
small 3D printed model of the Mittelplate platform, created most important lesson is maintaining close collaboration with
via taken from a smartphone. This was done using a process the asset and building strong relationships, something that was
known as photogrammetry – similar to the technology used to underestimated at the beginning. Their knowledge is essen-
create Google Maps. It demonstrated the ease of updating the tial and going forward we plan to be present in the asset every
actual 3D model of Mittelplate where workers could use this week in order to create products they feel comfortable with.
technology onsite to update it regularly. The neat part is that The crews are now in the process of deploying further use cases
if the photo picks up the tag number of the equipment then all consisting of analytical and decision support tools for turbine
data will automatically be available for that piece of equipment. monitoring, gas distribution optimization, well monitoring and
Photogrammetry is one technology the company is consider- inspection applications for hand-held devices where they have
ing for updating its 3D model, if it can identify use applications begun collaborating with Inovex, a German-based IT company
of significant value. focused on digital transformation services.
The products that each crew has developed were built in an Next year the project team plans to extend into the domains
iterative way. The crews shared their results with end users and of production and drilling optimization, where it can learn from
experts from Mittelplate and Dieksand every fortnight where ongoing digital activities on Wintershall Dea’s Brage field plat-
they could test applications and prototypes, provide feedback form in the Norwegian North Sea, which is also working on a
and help the team define the next iteration of the product. The digital twin. There is also a plan to scale the solutions already
idea of building products in such an iterative way is to help the developed to operations in Egypt, which are already showing a
crew catch problems early before the final product is developed keen interest - particularly with the hand-held devices. With the
making the product development much more efficient and second Supersprint now under way, the project team hopes to
cost-effective. Results were also presented to colleagues across showcase the new digital solutions it is developing in early 2020. •

Aker Solutions’ subsea products are designed to be

configurable, but using standardized components.
This allows the same products to be used globally,
by the same customers, but meeting different field
requirements. (All images courtesy Aker Solutions)
Aker Solutions adopts ‘intelligent’

approach to subsea field optimization
Integrated design, faster schedules among the benefits
AKER SOLUTIONS claims its new ‘Intelligent Subsea’ project engineering lead times. The effects
approach can halve the cost of subsea field developments of standardization has reduced engineering
and reduce the time needed to generate optimized subsea hours by 60-70% in some areas, cut assem-
field layouts by 75%. Offshore spoke to Knut Nyborg, the com- bly hours 25% and reduced procurement
pany’s Executive Vice-President, about the background to the cost and lead time. These kinds of efficien-
development and how the company plans to persuade the cies are only possible through standard,
industry of the benefits of this new approach. configurable products. Our latest genera-
tion of subsea equipment is standardized,
Offshore: What is Intelligent Subsea all about? Knut Nyborg smaller, lower cost and simpler - ensuring
predictable quality, repeatable volumes,
Nyborg: Intelligent Subsea enables us to define, execute, and and accelerated delivery.
operate tailored and optimized subsea solutions based on stan- Standard, configurable product platforms based on stan-
dardized components, providing real total cost optimization dardized hardware components (Product Catalogue) is a key
over the life of the field. It brings cost, schedule, and quality enabler in Intelligent Subsea. Combined with our automated
improvements from re-using standardized products, and field engineering and configuration software (Insight) we can auto-
optimization potential from applying bespoke solutions. The mate more of our execution and reduce project engineering
combination of automated engineering software, configurable lead times.
product platforms and standardized hardware components
mean we can automate more of our execution and thus reduce Offshore: Can this approach be adapted to changes in

the subsea system, which can be frequent as the design Offshore: Is the concept being pitched mainly at the
evolves? company’s established clients in the North Sea area?
Nyborg: Digitally-enabled design helps us drive efficiency Nyborg: Intelligent Subsea is relevant worldwide. The core
and standardization in our design processes to rapidly cre- value of this approach is found in the intersection of three
ate, test, and adjust design concepts based on standardized themes - integrated system design, which encapsulates the
products and components, with each field development pro- complete system not just subsea; accelerated field develop-
posal costed. Changes to the subsea system are seen in the ment, through standardized design and manufacturing; and
context of corresponding efficiencies in topside facilities and maximized performance, through life of field via advanced
wider infrastructure to ensure the most efficient design possi- condition monitoring and predictive maintenance, enhanced
ble. Our digital tools can reduce concept selection timelines recovery solutions, and simplified system extensions. The
dramatically. Software applications in ix3’s Concept Insight company does have a strong track record on the Norwegian
and Engineering Insight portfolios shorten the time it takes continental shelf as well as West Africa and Brazil. We are
to select the best subsea layout by 75%. applying this integrated system thinking with customers in
Using our Subsea Configurator, we can rapidly search our many regions, and we believe it is the right approach for deep-
product catalogue to find standardized components and prod- water developments. It directly solves performance issues with
ucts that fulfill a specific field configuration and related design fit-for-purpose products designed for installability and flow
parameters such as pressure, temperature, water depth, fluid assurance, both essential in deepwater.
composition and so on. This significantly improves speed,
consistency, and accuracy. Offshore: Does the concept work best with new or bolt-on
During execution, our configuration and design automa- offshore developments?
tion tool can cut engineering hours by up to 90%. In the case
of wellhead systems, we have developed a configuration and Nyborg: It works equally well for greenfield projects and for
design automation tool which can cut engineering hours by up brownfield projects. The core of Intelligent Subsea is still the
to 90% and lead time by half. The end result is a cost-effective automated design using standard configurable product plat-
product that reduces time to first oil. During the operations forms. This is valid for any type of field. For example, our Subsea
phase, our digital insight, predictive maintenance, standardized Alliance with Aker BP and Subsea 7 supported the brownfield
equipment and enhanced oil recovery techniques, can drive development of the Alvheim area in the Norwegian North Sea.
lower operating costs, increased uptime and extended field life. This involved the development and tieback of mature fields
to an existing FPSO to ensure high capacity utilization. With
The FASTsubsea pumping system

combines Aker Solutions’ multiphase
hydraulic technology with FSubsea’s
Hydromag technology to create what is
claimed to be the world’s first topside-
less multiphase boosting system.

Wellhead manufacturing in Aker Solutions’ Port Klang, Malaysia, facility. The company claims to have developed a configuration and design
automation tool for wellhead systems that can cut engineering hours by up to 90% and lead times by half.
our digitally-enabled approach, and cooperation with our alli- field where we have delivered the controls, but the trees were
ance partners, we were able to shorten the schedule from 22 delivered by a different vendor. Through our own alliances,
to 13 months and deliver a 30% cost reduction. we are used to dealing with products from a mix of vendors.
Look at marginal tiebacks in general. One of the key driv- By applying our digital tools in the front-end phase, we can
ers is maximizing capacity utilization on an existing topside define optimized field design solutions and accommodate
facility. By applying our system thinking approach we can aspects such as installed infrastructure and use of existing
optimize the field design, taking into account all client priori- spare parts and tool sets.
ties, both topside and subsea. Capex and schedule often have
a huge impact on the subsea production system (SPS) devel- Offshore: Is full alignment needed among all major par-
opment case; while both are important drivers for the top- ties in a project, from start to finish, for the concept to
side facility, it is also critical to design potentially new topside work?
equipment according to size and weight requirements for the
dedicated topside in addition to existing capacities for power Nyborg: No, major parties do not have to be fully aligned from
and utilities. And to ensure that execution of the work can be the outset – but what makes a difference is early engagement
performed in planned revision stops or with a minimum of in the front-end phase. Understanding the interfaces between
‘hot work’, which requires shutdowns of ongoing production. the parties in the front-end phase and ensuring that inter-de-
pendencies are taken into consideration when establishing
Offshore: Is the concept applicable solely to Aker Solu- different field solutions are both critical.
tions subsea products?
Offshore: Can you outline some of the benefits of stan-
Nyborg: Our digital technologies are applicable to multiple dardization that this new approach provides?
vendor products. For example, ix3’s Subsense field condition
and performance monitoring tool is monitoring a UK subsea Nyborg: We have standardized many deliverables that would

have been variable between projects a few years ago. For client drivers enables different field designs and with these
example, our vertical trees are absolutely standard but at the digital tools we can now us this experience to create a set of
key function or component level. A client may, for example, different field solutions. And when we put in the field-specific
select a 5-in. outlet for an oilfield and a 7-in. outlet for a gas design parameter, for example, pressure, temperature, water
field. Both outlets are standardized, and both have the same depth, our digital tools will populate the field solutions with
interfaces. This means they can be configured to different feasible technology within our database.
field conditions and functional requirements by simply select- In other words, our front-end field modeler and subsea con-
ing the best suited standard components for each function. figurator apps, part of the Concept and Engineering Insight
The Vectus control system is also standard on every proj- portfolios, work together with our other automation tools to
ect with field variability done only at a software level. Using help engineers’ decision making. Multiple fully-costed scenar-
the SCM configurator software tool has been proven to cut ios can be trailed in a short space of time.
engineering hours by 90%. The engineer is guided through a
set of configurations based on the product structure, gener- Offshore: Aker Solutions is working on a project in the
ating hydraulic and electrical schematics as examples. Years Barents Sea involving a 190-km (118-mi) subsea tie-
ago building a project could take many hundreds of hours but back of a gas system. Is Intelligent Subsea assisting this
this can now be done in minutes, with the added benefit of development?
predictable and repeatable quality and delivery.
The standardized approach means that subsea fields can Nyborg: Intelligent Subsea can be used for any field. The
be easily extended and upgraded as the field matures. In the Concept Insight tool is used to develop, test, and cost alter-
case of the Troll field in the North Sea which has been in pro- native field configurations. For long tiebacks it is important
duction since 1995, Aker Solutions more recently applied its to consider two main aspects - one, the flow assurance aspect
subsea configurator tool to prove examples of reduced well- of transporting hydrocarbons across long distances and two,
set installation costs by up to 70% through rigless operations. ensuring capacity for power (hydraulic and electric), utili-
We introduced Vectus controls, enabling seamless phasing in ties and communication. Intelligent Subsea interfaces both
of future expansion tiebacks and data-driven insight with Sub- multiphase flow simulators, integrated production modeling
sense condition performance monitoring software. tools as well as normal steady state process simulation tools.
These are used to define the overall field configuration as well
Offshore: For marginal tiebacks, Aker Solutions claims as defining the relevant field design conditions. This provides
to be able to achieve a 50% capex reduction with a new input to the Subsea Configurator when searching for stan-
subsea pumping solution. How is this achieved? dardized and proved products and components.
This particular project is an example of the company’s
Nyborg: When the FASTsubsea X multiphase pump module integrated system thinking approach, meaning we chal-
is qualified and deployed, FASTsubsea estimates that capex lenged assumptions, rapidly trialed multiple scenarios
for a pumping system can be reduced by 30-50% compared of a full field system, applied innovative technology, and
to conventional subsea pumping system costs. The rapidly adapted our solution to use the existing infrastructure. This
deployable FASTsubsea multiphase pump solution has no allowed the reduction of the capex and opex costs, mainly
need for topside infrastructure, therefore offering significantly by avoiding the need for a topside production platform.
reduced capex. The project was established in April 2019, and
we are currently approaching potential JIP partners for funding. Offshore: Can you comment on some of the other prod-
uct innovations relevant to Intelligent Subsea?
Offshore: Can you explain some of the benefits provided
by the company’s digital tools and ix3’s ‘Insight’ mod- Nyborg: The company has developed a configuration and
ules, as applied to Intelligent Subsea? design automation tool that cuts engineering hours by up to
90% and lead times by half. Standardizing on component level
Nyborg: We have a range of advanced recovery enhance- and enabling configuration of the wellhead system to meet
ment technologies that boost recovery and extend the life of the field requirements are key to achieving these efficiencies.
the field as reservoir pressure drops and recoverable reserves Standardization enables us to use the design automation tool
become harder to reach. Re-applying the configurator apps to generate the drawings required. This results in repeatability
in ix3’s Concept Insight portfolio, working with our front-end and volumes for our engineers, manufacturing and suppliers,
teams, and using the latest innovation of intelligent prod- as well as predictability when it comes to quality and delivery.
ucts, we can re-invent the field both subsea and topside and The sixth generation of the Vectus controls system is being
extend production. deployed for the first time this year. It is central to Aker Solutions’
Aker Solutions has a long history and extensive experience condition monitoring and predictive maintenance offering. •
with field designs across all regions. Prioritization of different

The jackup Maersk Intrepid is working for Equinor on the Martin Linge
project in the North Sea. (All images courtesy Maersk Drilling)
Maersk Drilling converting North Sea

jackup for lower-emissions operations
First hybrid-power rig in company’s global fleet
MAERSK DRILLING is converting the harsh-environment jackup Norway’s NOx Fund, an industry scheme dedicated to cutting
Maersk Intrepid for ‘cleaner’ and more efficient drilling operations. NOx emissions on the Norwegian continental shelf, is funding up to
The rig, currently contracted to work for Equinor until August 2020 80% of the upgrade costs, and Equinor is providing further support
on the Martin Linge project in the North Sea, will soon become the via its compensation format arrangement for emission-reducing
first ‘hybrid’ low-emission rig in the contractor’s fleet. The upgrades measures. Assuming a successful outcome to the project, Maersk
include installation of a new battery-based hybrid power solution Drilling will seek to extend the upgrades to other rigs in its fleet.
that makes more efficient use of the engines, thereby lowering car- The Maersk Intrepid, a CJ70 XLE design jackup that entered
bon dioxide (CO2) emissions; selective catalytic reduction (SCR) service in 2014, is equipped for year-round harsh environment
systems that minimize nitrogen oxide (NOx) and soot emissions; operations.
Energy Emission Efficiency software that monitors and optimizes Offshore spoke to the rig’s Technical Superintendent, Mikkel Son-
all energy use onboard; and implementation of the NOVOS drilling dergaard Pedersen, and to Maersk Drilling’s Chief Technical Officer,
system to help the drill floor team execute processes more consis- Frederik Smidth, and Senior Mechanical Engineer Jan Hoffner, about
tently, with interfaces to third-party algorithms to further improve the background to the conversion and the progress achieved to date.
drilling performance.

Offshore: Is the Martin Linge development Equinor’s first

acquaintance working with the Maersk Intrepid?
Pedersen: The rig had worked previously for Equinor on the Sleipner
field in the North Sea, and its first ever job was in fact on Martin
Linge back in 2014, when the field’s operator was Total. The cur-
rent upgrade program has led to further enquiries from Equinor
regarding energy efficiency and we have an ongoing dialogue on
further initiatives.
Offshore: Was Equinor’s desire to comply with future

Norwegian emission reduction targets one of the main
drivers?
Smidth: Maersk Drilling had been working for some time on

Aerial view of the Maersk Intrepid.
development of energy emission efficiency solutions for various
rigs. When we saw the opportunity to help Equinor, as our client,
achieve its carbon reduction targets, we approached them with the a patented high efficiency urea injection system.
solutions now being implemented on Maersk Intrepid.
Offshore: What level of emissions do you expect to achieve
Offshore: Are there certain characteristics of this rig, or compared to the rig’s existing output?
the CJ70 design in general, that facilitate the planned
upgrades? Smidth: The simulations of the power grid on a CJ70 XLE rig indicate
an estimated fuel saving in double-digit percentage figures compared
Hoffner: All electrical motors above a certain size have been to the current average operational consumption on a CJ70 – with,
equipped with variable-frequency drives (VFDs) to control the of course, a corresponding reduction in CO2 emissions. With the
output of the motor to the required demand. Motors for the top- SCR units we expect a minimum 90% reduction in NOx emissions.
side drilling equipment are also controlled via VFDs. This means
the reverse power generated when the motor has to stop a load, Offshore: In terms of energy use, can you provide sce-
with the implemented upgrades, can be stored in the energy storage narios of how the hybrid power approach might work,
system. It should also be noted that Maersk Drilling’s CJ70 designs depending on the drilling task?
are specially equipped and prepared for these kinds of upgrades.
Hoffner: The peak-shaving capability introduced by the hybrid
Offshore: When the company first made the announce- power energy storage system (ESS) will result in a reduced number of
ment of this program in May, it hoped to complete the engines running during tripping in/out operations while running the
emissions-related upgrade in July, for the hybrid batter- drawworks in Multi Machine Control (MMC auto function), manual
ies. What has been the reason for the delay? operation or other high power consumption activities on topside.
Implementation of the ESS adds energy to the grid, leveling out
Pedersen: Extensive simulations have been performed, in co-op- power peaks to obtain a constant load on a reduced number of
eration with Aalborg University in western Denmark, to ensure engines. This results in a higher average load on the engines at a
the correct capacity of the battery bank. In addition, a completely more optimal point on the Specific Fuel Oil Consumption Curve,
new design of a turnkey container solution had to be developed which also leads to enhanced engine performance. Furthermore,
with a supplier to obtain the most optimal solution for the CJ70 waste energy recovered from electrical braking of the drawworks
XLE rigs. As Maersk Intrepid will likely also be in accommodation can be used to charge the ESS. In the current rig layout this energy
mode in 2020, we have decided to install the batteries next spring. is not being used and is therefore disposed of in the water-cooled
The installation of the selective catalyzer reduction (SCR) units is brake resistors as heat.
already under way. In general, the installation of the ESS on the rigs topside pro-
vides attractive possibilities to operate the rig in an ever-more
Offshore: Are the SCR systems a new development? responsible and cost-saving way when operating heavy machin-
ery on the drill floor.
Hoffner: Maersk Drilling installed an identical solution on Maersk
Innovator in 2014, so from our point of view, this is proven technol- Offshore: Are Maersk/Equinor already looking ahead to
ogy. The selected system is particularly well suited to the dynamic further refinements to reduce energy use/emissions?
load patterns encountered in offshore operations, combined with

Pedersen: Yes, we are looking at other solutions that will contrib- next CJ70 is in the pipeline for a similar upgrade and we are also
ute to a further reduction in CO2 and NOx emissions. For example, considering these solutions for semis and drillships. Our drillships
Maersk Drilling has initiated an internal campaign that encourages have been designed with energy storage in mind, so they could be
all employees to submit suggestions for potential fuel savings. The equipped with these new measures with only minor rig modifica-
tions. We are seeing more and more focus from our clients for these
kinds of solutions and we are assessing the possibilities for some of
our long-term drilling program proposals.
Offshore: What is the background to the cloud-based

Energy Emission Efficiency software?
Smidth: This tool was developed in-house at Maersk Drilling with

a big data approach, with Maersk Integrator used for the first pilot
in 2016 when the rig was working for Equinor. The Energy Emission
Efficiency software visualizes how and where energy is consumed on
the entire rig, and this allows the operator to focus on unnecessary
power consumption. To an extent it has changed the mindset of
the personnel running the power plant on a rig, leading to substan-
tial fuel savings. Following the upgrades to Maersk Intrepid, there
will be a continuous focus offshore on the rig’s fuel consumption.
Offshore: Finally, can you supply how the NOVOS drilling

system works and the benefits to Martin Linge or other
projects?
Pedersen: NOVOS manages safe operation of rig equipment through

automated processed while allowing external parties to optimize
performance within the process. NOVOS offers a software devel-
oper kit that allows personalized applications to be created. Hence
operators, contractors or service companies can apply optimization
with their own applications while maintaining the proven safety
and precision of NOV control systems. •

Dual-vessel QUAD Lift technique

speeds platform installation
Reduced hookup times for large integrated decks
HEEREMA MARINE Contractors has developed and proven flexibility. Decks can be dispatched from a yard to the off-
a pioneering installation technique for giant platforms. QUAD shore installation location fully integrated; alternatively,
Lift, which is equally applicable to decommissioning, involves deck modules can be ordered from various fabricators in
parallel deployment of two of the company’s semisubmers- different countries and then integrated at a yard or a float-
ible crane vessels to speed up installation/mating at the field ing barge near the site for subsequent shipment to the field
location. Thialf and Heerema’s new flagship vessel Sleipnir for QUAD Lift installation.
will jointly provide the capability through their four cranes The new procedure was first demonstrated in October
to quickly install integrated decks weighing up to 30,000 2018 in the US Gulf of Mexico when Thialf and Heerema’s
metric tons (29,762 tons), via their respective 14,000 and Balder operated in tandem to lift a test structure. The trials
20,000-metric ton (15,432 and 22,046-ton) lifting capacity. fully validated the modelling that had been undertaken at the
According to the company, this capability gives design company’s new Simulation Center in Leiden, the Netherlands.
houses greater freedom early on in a project to optimize plat- When Transport and Installation Director Michel Hen-
form designs, also providing spin-offs in terms of fabrication driks started working for Heerema over 30 years ago as a
young engineer, the company had two semisubmersible crane
The Balder and Thialf

during QUAD Lift trials
in the Gulf of Mexico
in October 2018.
(All photos courtesy
Heerema Marine
Contractors)

The Balder and Thialf during

the QUAD Lift trials at night.
vessels, Balder and Hermod. “Even then, we were thinking “With this facility,” Spanjers added, “there was no need
of using the vessels’ four cranes to double their capacity,” he for conventional tank tests to simulate the vessels’ motions.
said, “and that thought remained with the company for a long The full digital twin of the vessels gave us a realistic experi-
time. But in those days the vessels were new, and we had to ence of how they would perform working in parallel under
get to know their capabilities. And they were operating only dynamic positioning. When we launched Sleipnir this sum-
with anchors – Balder did not get dynamic positioning (DP) mer, its first job [installation of the topsides for Noble Ener-
until the late 1990s, and that too took time to fully master. gy’s Leviathan platform offshore Israel] was fully successful,
Then we added Thialf, which had DP from the outset.” proving that what we had seen had been very well mimicked
According to Coen Spanjers, Engineering Manager T&I in Leiden. The digital twin provides a hydrodynamic data-
Projects, the real impetus for QUAD Lift came in late 2014 base of all the sea states that we may work in: it allows you
when the company sanctioned construction of Sleipnir and to change wave height and wind speeds and to observe how
started thinking in earnest of combining two heavy-lift ves- the cranes move. Many of our clients have come to visit the
sels for the same project – coinciding with the period when center to see it in action.”
the industry was entering its severest downturn for decades.
“Oil and gas is a very cyclical business,” Hendriks explained, GOM TEST RUN
“and Heerema is not only driven by how the world might look QUAD Lift is said to suit a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and
tomorrow. The vision of the owner is to develop technology weights of topsides and jackets. The two vessels’ four offshore
for future application.” cranes can boom up to follow the contours of the largest and
“QUAD Lift has also been about harnessing the power widest structures, irrespective of the orientation or the foun-
of digitalization via the Simulation Center, which opened dation type. Working in tandem the cranes lift the topsides
four years ago. This has two crane domes, each replicating cargo from the transport vessel at the field location, position
all aspects of the vessels in exact detail, a bridge and con- it above the jacket and lower it securely into place. Following
trol rooms. That technology helped speed up the develop- set-down, one of the vessels departs while the other typically
ment and gave us the confidence that we could do QUAD remains at the site to perform remaining installation activi-
Lift successfully.” ties such as bridges or flares.

For last year’s trial run in the Gulf of Mexico, Heerema used a 400 ft barge which
was outfitted to serve as a 4,000 metric ton test weight for the QUAD Lift operation.
“The trial program was designed to confirm all the DP requirements and com-
munication protocols, as modelled in the simulator,” Spanjers explained. “It started
with Thialf and Balder opposite each other, stern to stern. Next, the two vessels
performed a ‘DP dance’, including a full simultaneous rotation without any loads
in the cranes. They then executed the 4,000-t QUAD Lift with the barge, which first
was lifted out off the water and thereafter repeating the DP tests.
“Some of our clients that witnessed the trial, asked us why we hadn’t used a
heavier test structure, of around 10,000 t, to more accurately simulate a heavier
deck lift? In fact, the procedure is harder with a lighter structure: with QUAD Lift,
the heavier the load, the slower the response. That makes the cranes and the wires
stiffer, and the system therefore more stable.”
“It’s a master-slave arrangement,” Hendriks added, “in which one of the two boats
(the master) leads while the other (the slave) follows, and increased stiffness of the
system makes the operation easier for the following vessel.
“One of the bigger challenges we were expecting ahead of the trial was the com-
munications: how do you ensure coordinated co-operations between the two ves-
sels’ captains, two superintendents, four crane drivers and two DP operators? So,
we called in people from aviation to develop strict communications protocols in
order to manage the operation effectively.
“But this is all part of a learning process that goes back to when I first went
offshore for Heerema in the late ’80s. As the company’s fleet has expanded, it has
always been a case of understanding how a new vessel operates and its response
capabilities. From this latest trial, we learned that we had 100% confidence in the
QUAD Lift concept, and DNV GL, which witnessed the tests, has certified the pro-
cess to TRL 6 state of readiness.”
According to Spanjers, “there may be a perception that the process involves
having two heavy-lift vessels available for the full duration of a project. In fact,
we would typically only need two vessels at the field location for a single day. For
virtually any project we would expect to complete the actual installation process
within less than a day.”
The sole reason Balder participated in last year’s trials with Thialf was that
Sleipnir had at that point not yet been delivered. For topsides of a certain weight,
the concept works equally well with any combination of the three vessels, Spanjers
Simulated lifts in 3D
Heerema Marine Contractors describes its Simulation Center in Leiden as a real-time,
virtual offshore environment that allows it to integrate clients’ proposed project activities
into a 3D view of operations. The crane and vessel controls and the simulated weather
and sea swell patterns are said to provide authentic visualization and a ‘feel’ for all as-
pects of how the planned operation might pan out.
The Simulation Center can be used to assess and test offshore installation programs
prior to going offshore, allowing designs to be ‘frozen’ earlier. This helps speed up en-
gineering and onshore fabrication, ensuring a greater likelihood of timely delivery of all
installation components and required hardware. In addition, the facility can be used to
test new approaches for existing or future projects, or to scrutinize critical planned oper-
ations in order to check for potential trouble spots.
Heerema can adapt a wide range of 3D models of, for example, jackets and topsides
to run realistic scenarios, including single, repetitive or dual-crane lifts, and float over
operations. The engineering department develops 3D drawings for each project, incor-
porating the selected equipment characteristics in order to recreate the components’
natural behavior, uploading the results into the Simulation Center system. The offshore
crew will then come in to perform a dry run of the planned operation for the benefit of the
client and project team, helping all parties anticipate any technical issues or potential
failure modes that might occur.

which are supportive of this develop-

The Sleipnir lifting the topsides ment, because to realize the full bene-
for the Leviathan platform fits QUAD Lift provides to the platform’s
offshore Israel.
design, it is important for it to be con-
sidered during the project’s early stages.
Early generation platforms also had to
have a lot more stiffness built in with
elongated support points to connect
the load paths. With QUAD Lift, we can
position the cranes where we want to
optimize the load paths, and that makes
both platform assembly and decommis-
sioning process far less costly.”
Hendriks added: “This development
is more about the ‘total cost of owner-
ship’ of the project. The physical action
of installing a 25,000-t deck is only a rel-
ative small part – what is most import-
ant is to be able to optimize the design
and layout by involving the installation
contractor before the EPC award. In
said, so Balder could still feature if, for instance, Sleipnir was ruled out due to a this regard we have also been talking to
prior commitment elsewhere. But for really large development projects Heerema fabricators about really lowering total
will need to ensure that Sleipnir and Thialf are both in a certain area for the required cost of ownership – because building
installation schedule. wider topsides is also cheaper than high
In early September, Sleipnir, using its two revolving cranes, set down the two topsides.
main deck structures on the pre-installed steel jacket at the Leviathan field location “Another benefit of our method is that
offshore Israel. The 15,300-metric ton (16,865-ton) module lift set a new record for it allows large, fully integrated and com-
a semisubmersible crane vessel, Heerema claimed, the second deck of 9,200 metric missioned topsides to leave the quay-
ton (10,141 ton) was installed thereafter and the combined operation with a total side ready for a QUAD Lift installation,
installed weight of 24,500 metric ton (27,000 ton) was completed in just under 20 with minimized offshore hook-up and
hours: “It could have been done in less than 12 hours,” Hendriks said, “if we had not therefore a shorter and more predictable
decided to do something else in between the two lifts.” interval until first oil. Twenty-five years
ago, topsides design was constrained
RE-SIZED GRILLAGE by the lifting capabilities of the avail-
Heerema can transport fully-integrated decks from most locations directly to the able crane vessels, and typically meant
offshore installation site, depending on the client’s fabrication set-up. The com- 5,000 to 6,000-t lower deck modules with
pany operates its own fleet of cargo barges, the largest of which can carry loads smaller modules on top (until Thialf
of up to 50,000 metric tons (55,155 tons). For Leviathan, the two main decks were arrived, allowing a combination of larger
transported from the quayside at the Kiewit yard in Corpus Christi on respectively modules – up to 12,000 t – and smaller
Heerema barges the H-591 and H-627. “However, we can also accommodate an 6,000-t structures on top).”
alternative arrangement,” Spanjers acknowledged, “if, for example, the platform is The same basic principles of the
built in a yard in Asia and the client prefers to use, say, an HTV for the long-haul QUAD Lift method can be re-applied for
transportation.” removing ultra-large and heavy topsides.
The company has also optimized the grillage on its cargo barges to be at a height Sleipnir’s 20,000-t lifting capability should
just sufficient to spread the load into the framing. This arrangement is said to min- be sufficient for safely removal of most
imize the amount of steel in the grillage, with a positive impact on the fatigue life jackets: the vessel’s first job in this mode
of the topsides. Spanjers explained: “For a heavy floatover installation, you typically will be the removal of Shell’s Brent Alpha
need much higher grillage, 10 m (33 ft) up in the air, which is more expensive and jacket in the UK northern North Sea.
leads to significantly increased dynamic loads on the topside. Johan Sverdrup has shown that the
“With QUAD Lift, there is also more room below our vessels’ cranes and that era of large new platforms in the North
allows you to design wider, spacier topsides. Spacier also means more design free- Sea is not quite over, but the main mar-
dom to increase distance between certain functional elements of the topside, which ket for QUAD Lift in this sector is likely
increases the safety of the platform. We have been talking to various design houses to be decommissioning. •

Pre-project calibration approach

improves CT scanner operations
JENNIFER BRIDDON, TRACERCO UK
ONE AREA which can be overlooked

when considering pipeline inspection,
despite the impact it can have on the
success of a scanning campaign, is
the pre-project calibration or factory
acceptance testing of the inspection
instrument. A well planned and tar-
geted pre-project calibration test can
be designed to focus on maximizing
the capabilities for expected conditions
and defects, while maintaining resilience
to natural variations in these parame-
ters. An inadequate or poorly planned
pre-project calibration test can result in
poor quality information, which could
lead to an unexpected failure of the item
being inspected.
Tracerco’s Discovery, the world’s only
field proven subsea computed tomogra-
phy (CT) scanner, has been used in a num-
ber of inspection projects in the North
Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and West Africa. It
provides asset integrity and flow assur-
ance data on a range of pipeline systems.
Prior to any offshore inspection campaign
using the CT scanner, pre-project calibra-
tions are performed to help ensure that the
maximum quality of the data is produced
for each operator, and to improve analysis
as well as expedite reporting times.
CT SCANNING
Operating along the same general prin-
ciples as CT scanners used in hospitals A good calibration test can help ensure the complete success of a Discovery subsea
pipeline inspection campaign. (Courtesy Tracerco)
worldwide, Discovery is a non-intrusive
external scanning technique designed The principle behind Discovery (and CT scanning) is relatively simple – the inspec-
specifically for subsea pipeline inspection beam passes through a material and the density of this material can then be cal-
tion. As it is non-intrusive, it does not culated by how much the beam is weakened (this is the attenuation coefficient of the
affect the operation of the pipe, or require material). Reconstruction models then take this information and use it to generate
removal of any external coating applied an accurate image of the scanned item. As CT scanning produces a complex grid of
to the pipe prior or during inspection. It data, it is often likened to a sudoku puzzle, except one which can only be “solved”
is adept at scanning through 50 mm (2.17 using computers and iterative algorithms. While this analysis is complex, the advan-
in.) of heavy concrete weight coats as it is tage of CT over other inspection techniques is that it can generate information about
at scanning through micron-thick fusion the pipeline wall thickness and integrity, the product flowing conditions and the con-
bonded epoxy coatings. dition of any coating applied to the pipeline, all in a single scan.

TARGETED TESTING that it is possible to detect potential anomalies and defects by

The Lloyd’s Register Discovery certification program, performed identifying a key characteristic in the scan data prior to a full
in 2017, demonstrated that its scanning and analysis software scan being performed. Although these characteristics do not
could provide a measurement capability equivalent to that include enough information to enable the dimensions of the
provided by conventional magnetic flux leakage (MFL) inline anomaly to be determined to within Discovery’s stated toler-
inspection tools, in terms of the probability of detection (POD) ances, the fact that the anomaly can be identified means that a
and sizing accuracy for detecting metal loss type anomalies. scan can be performed only where it will add value, i.e. at areas
The testing program was performed on pipelines of a range with significant defects. Once this characteristic has been iden-
of dimensions which covered approximately two-thirds of the tified then a full scan to enable complete characterization of
most commonly used pipes. For pipelines outside of this range, the defect can be performed. If this characteristic is not pres-
a specific pre-job calibration is required. Pre-job project cali- ent, then this scan can be terminated, and the next position
brations are always recommended and advised for all the scan- can be scanned. Using the fast scanning technique in this way
ner’s inspection campaigns, in the same manner as the standard helps maximize the amount of valuable inspection data for the
MFL approach for performing pre-project pull-through testing operator, while helping to minimize the overall project duration
to help ensure a successful inline inspection campaign. for the same inspection area.
The precise goal of a pre-project calibration for the scan-
ner may vary depending on the exact parameters of the pipe IMPROVED PROJECT DELIVERY
to be scanned, type and nature of any expected anomalies and Performing a pre-project calibration also has additional bene-
defects within the pipe. Typical goals for a pre-project calibra- fits for the onshore project delivery process. If the parameters
tion include: (wall thickness, defect type, pipe fill, etc.) used in the pre-proj-
• Determination of “hits” (variations in wall thickness which ect calibration are confirmed to be sufficiently representative
can be matched to known features confirmed as valid from of the parameters seen offshore, then it is reasonable to assume
alternative pipeline inspection methods) and “misses” (vari- that analysis values derived from the calibration will also be the
ations which were missed by the scanner but identified by same. For a Discovery inspection campaign, this can (depending
the alternative pipeline inspection method) on the number of individual full scans to be assessed) reduce
• Determination of sizing accuracy and standard deviation the overall final reporting time by a factor of four.
values (in particular if these are outside of those recognized In the project illustrated here, the pre-project calibration
by the 2017 Lloyd’s Register certificate) approach was successfully applied as the company detected
• Determination of the most likely features identified in either a small pinhole type metal loss anomaly at the bottom of line.
the pipeline or fluid, and the associated feature reporting When the inherent Discovery under sizing tolerance is con-
tolerance sidered, it is possible that this defect could be a significant
• Determination of the most suitable feature detection and area of concern. This could have been missed using a simple
wall thickness analysis algorithms from Tracerco’s bespoke rejection limit-based approach (which potentially could have
Discovery analysis software. been used if a representative pre-project calibration had not
been performed). However, the pre-project calibration had
REAL-TIME RESULTS been performed with the operator providing a representative
Discovery CT image reconstructions are available immediately sample with similar defects which had been recovered from a
offshore, allowing for a preliminary real-time assessment of the pipeline failure in field. Consequently, both the analysis tech-
data. This includes wall thickness measurements for any iden- nique and the technicians offshore were able to easily detect
tified defects, product bore analysis, or deposit detection. The and size this defect.
results can also be used by an operator to help target inspec- Apart from this single defect, no other anomalies were iden-
tions. For example, if an area is inspected which contains an tified in any of the other segments of the flowline at the chosen
unexpected level of build-up, an operator may choose to per- inspection locations. This information provided the operator
form additional inspections at this location to monitor for with good confidence about the condition of the rest of the line.
the presence of any under-deposit corrosion. For a Discovery
inspection, an additional benefit of a representative pre-project CONCLUSION
calibration is that it allows Tracerco’s offshore technicians to Although a pre-project calibration is not, by itself, an important
determine the likely early-scan indicators that can be used to component of pipeline inspection and integrity, a good calibra-
confirm if a significant wall thickness variation is present at the tion test can help ensure the complete success of an inspec-
scan location. This is of value for an operator who has chosen to tion campaign. By targeting and refining the analysis approach
use the system’s “fast scanning” technique. The scanner, which during the pre-project calibration, the results can be provided
was developed by the company for rapid pipeline inspection, quicker and with a higher degree of accuracy and confidence. •
was formally unveiled in January 2018 and can reduce overall
scan time by a factor of five. In summary, it has been proven

Low-dose hydrate inhibitors present

new flow assurance option
LDHIs offer logistical, cost advantages over traditional treatments
ZACHARY T. WARD, NIRUPAM PURKAYASTHA, FELIX HOEVELMANN, JONATHAN J. WYLDE, DIRK LEINWEBER, CLARIANT
WHILE OIL PRICES have settled down from the volatility seen A.
in recent years, further expectations indicate that the market is in

a realignment phase. Within this realignment, new strategies for
oil and gas production must be explored to remain competitive in
this new environment.
In deepwater production, one of these new strategies is the B.
installation of longer subsea tiebacks to develop remote reservoirs,
where no existing host facilities are nearby; and a fixed installation
is considered uneconomical. Subsea tiebacks with distances of
more than 60 mi (97 km) between the well and host facility are not
uncommon, and new technologies continue to push the bound-
aries of what was previously thought infeasible.
Gas hydrates with no anti-agglomerants (a) and gas hydrates that
A principal consideration for subsea flow assurance is the preven- have been treated with anti-agglomerants (b). (Courtesy Clariant)
tion of gas hydrates. Formation and agglomeration of gas hydrates
in pipelines may result in a plug that terminates oil and gas flow. fluid inputs for testing. When combined with traditional applica-
Remediation costs for a gas hydrate plug are relatively high and tion testing methods, such as the rocking cell, autoclave and/or
the prevention of these plugs is of great importance. A number of flow loops, new products can be developed and delivered to mar-
mechanical and chemical options exist for the mitigation of gas ket in a fraction of the time.
hydrates. A classic method for hydrate prevention involves the use The typical life cycle of an innovation project is divided into sev-
of antifreeze chemicals like methanol or ethylene glycol to ther- eral phases. The initial discovery phase involves extensive search-
modynamically inhibit hydrate formation. ing and application testing of a wide array of available materials to
However, oil producers and service providers must innovate determine a potential solution. This is where the new HTE platform
to remain competitive. A relatively new technology for hydrate is capable of rapidly accelerating the innovation life cycle in addi-
mitigation is the family of chemical additives known as low dose tion to finding more candidates, leading to the determination of a
hydrate inhibitors (LDHI). LDHIs consist of two classes of chemi- better potential solution. Where traditional rocking cell methods
cals: kinetic hydrate inhibitors (KHI) and anti-agglomerants (AA). would typically run two experiments per week, the HTE platform
Both classes are successfully used to mitigate gas hydrates in sub- will run up to 24 experiments per day.
sea and deepwater applications globally, though neither can be Once candidates are determined, the product identification
considered a universal solution. phase begins where these candidates are fully tested on traditional
LDHI chemistry provides a significant logistic and operating methods to verify their performance. Once the ideal product is iden-
expense advantage over traditional alcohol treatments, where steep tified, the HTE platform may be used again to optimize the formu-
methanol-in-crude penalties have rendered methanol injection lation with more granularity than traditional methods. Resulting
uneconomical for many fields. As deepwater production contin- in a more efficient product ready for introduction to the market.
ues to push toward higher pressures, longer tiebacks and increas- This method was used to develop the first product in a suite
ing water cuts, gas hydrate treatment using LDHIs is approaching of next-generation AA-LDHIs capable of reducing current LDHI
the limit of current technology. consumption during production up to 30% as compared to cur-
To remain competitive under this new market paradigm, Clar- rent state of the art technology. These chemicals were developed
iant has developed a high throughput experimentation (HTE) using the new HTE platform in conjunction with currently estab-
platform to rapidly accelerate new product development. This lished rocking cell and autoclave technology. This technology will
new platform brings together automation and intelligent analytics enable continued production in fields that are currently reaching
to fully automate all aspects of product development, including: LDHI injection capacity due to design constraints.
test planning, formulation and synthesis, application testing, and Looking forward, additional products may be developed that
results analysis. This platform only requires the chemical and test are better tailored for their target application. •

Consortium completes first 3D OBN

seismic survey offshore Poland
GRZEGORZ ZAJFERT, MEWO S.A.
POLISH CONSORTIUM MEWO S.A. and Pro Geofizyka OBN receivers. To avoid exceeding the OBN battery time it
Kraków has completed the first 3D ocean bottom node (OBN) was necessary to maintain a sufficiently high shot repeti-
seismic survey in the Polish Economic Zone of the Baltic Sea. tion rate (2,800 shots per day) on the Sercel GI gun seismic
The Wolin 3D seismic project is a first stage of prospect- source which was fired every 50 m (164 ft).
ing in the offshore concession After the source acquisition,
acquired by Central European a Seaeye Falcon ROV was used
Petroleum in 2017. The con- for OBN recovery.
cession is in the southwestern Due to the ultra-shallow
part of the Pomeranian Bay in water, vessel choice was criti-
the Baltic Sea. Carried out from cal. The vessel had to have shal-
May to June 2019, the project low draft but large enough deck
consisted of 48,500 source posi- space and payload capacity to
tions over 125 sq km (48 sq mi) install the compressed air sup-
in water depths of 2-15 m (7-49 ply for the air gun source. It also
ft), with some 22,800 man-hours had to have accommodation
recorded on site. Because of port for 20 people, data acquisition
traffic, shallow water, yachting rooms, workshop and techni-
and fishing activity 785 OBNs cal facilities as well as supplies.
were deployed as receivers. Being able to manage this all on
Six vessels dedicated to a single vessel platform saved
specific tasks such as deploy- cost and time.
ment, source, equipment recov- During the survey work, high
ery, guard and multi-task were standards were maintained to
based in the port of Świnoujście. protect the natural environ-
The first stage of the cam- ment and minimize any impact
paign included pre survey per- on it. A passive acoustic moni-
formed by a Reson SeaBat 7125 toring system for detecting and
multi beam echo sounder. This identifying potential marine
allowed accurate bathymetry mammal presence, source soft
and seabed quality of the area start procedure, and an acous-
to be determined. tic deterrent device were all
The next stage was to pre- employed to ensure the distur-
pare the 785 OBN receivers bance of marine life was mini-
(OBX 750E from Geospace Tech- mized. During the main seismic
nologies) with appropriate gain acquisition, the onboard marine
settings determined during a mammal observers did not
test on site. Then the OBNs were TOP: The source vessel Imor was one of six vessels used in the detect any marine mammals
deployed on the seabed in a reg- project. BOTTOM: OBX 750E nodes ready for deployment. (All
images courtesy MEWO S.A.)
in the vicinity of the operation.
ular 400-m x 400-m (1,312-ft x While the final processing of
1,312-ft) grid. Then the seismic source line acquisition was the seismic data is yet to be completed the acquisition and
carried out over predetermined lines. initial results point to a highly successful survey outcome
This acquisition phase, despite marine traffic, fishing, for Poland’s first ever offshore 3D OBN seismic survey. •
pleasure yachting, marine mammals and weather, had to
be completed within 60 days due to the battery life in the


The digital portal for Lundin
Norway’s drilling operations
went live in September.
(Courtesy Eigen)
Digital portal delivers drilling

operations overview
Developed in collaboration with Lundin Norway
OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS digitalization software provider and Dedicated pages for each rig (accessed by either clicking on the
systems integrator, Eigen, rolled out a unique digital portal for Lun- rig in the map or navigating to the operations page) give detailed
din Norway’s drilling operations in September. information such as the drilling supervisor, links to the current
The Drilling Portal is now live and combines remote monitor- reports, drilling progress against plan, time/depth plots, and safety
ing of information from different systems to provide a quick and status.
intuitive overview of all drilling operations. A search functionality One of the most powerful features behind the portal is an intel-
also allows access across historic information, reports, and ‘les- ligent email processor. The system intercepts the emails normally
sons learned.’ sent from each rig with various information from reports to alerts
Imagine an offshore operative coming in to work and within and lessons learned. It automatically extracts the relevant data,
30 seconds being able to know the current state of your drilling categorizes it and stores it, publishes it to the portal, and makes it
operations and where you needed to focus your attention that available for searching and filtering.
day. This is now the reality for drilling operations staff in Lundin This piece of technology means that the workflow for the opera-
Norway thanks to the new digital drilling portal developed in col- tors on the rig remains unchanged but the work process for onshore
laboration with Eigen. teams is improved, because it has removed the email inbox clutter
The system is an online portal that shows key information on and made it much easier to find information. The latest version of
the status and activities across all rigs on hire and provides a plat- anything is always on the portal, which reduces the risk of acting
form for sharing the numerous daily reports from each rig. on the wrong information. There is no need for engineers to file
An overview page shows a map with the exact location of all the information themselves, which saves time and removes frus-
active rigs with aggregated key performance indicators such as tration - and past information is always easy to find.
overall productivity, NPT, active safety cases, meters drilled, etc. The system also interfaces to the central ‘lessons learned’ data-
Everything is interactive and users can drill down further, to view base which makes it much easier for people to find relevant learn-
a breakdown of NPT, for example. ings, making it more likely that they will access them.
The portal is also being made available as a mobile app. •

Rugged gyro sensor designed for small bore tube-based systems

SILICON SENSING Systems has developed the CRS39 gyroscope robust silicon micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) vibrating
specifically for the oil and gas industry, with offshore applications. ring sensor which delivers ultra-low noise performance, high shock
The device is intended for platform stabilization, downhole survey- tolerance and excellent vibration rejection. The patented MEMS
ing, north-finding and robotic control. device is the outcome of 15 years of design
With a form factor created specifically to suit evolution and refinement.
systems operating within small-bore tubes, the CRS39 is one of the most capable sensors in
company says that CRS39 will provide optimal Silicon Sensing’s single axis gyro portfolio. The
solutions for applications where bias instability, technology is used as the basis of the compa-
angular random walk and low noise are crit- ny’s highest performance IMU – the DMU30
ical. Depending on the requirement, CRS39 which challenges the performance of bigger,
can be used alone or in combination – as in heavier and far more costly fiberoptic-based
complex applications such as drill hole map- inertial systems.
ping systems. Silicon Sensing says that it continuously
Silicon Sensing says that recent technologi- The CRS39 gyroscope has been evolves and enhances its products, aiming
cal improvements afford its gyros the sensitivity developed for oil and gas industry use, to reduce size and extend performance. Cur-
with offshore applications. (Courtesy Silicon
to detect the earth’s rotation, allowing north to Sensing Systems) rently the company is introducing improve-
be determined without using magnetic means. ments which will reduce the existing two board
This is advantageous in systems performance, structure of CRS39, making it a single PCB
especially underground where using conventional magnetic com- component and reducing the size. At the same time engineers are
pass or GPS technology can be difficult or impossible. incorporating changes to update the gyro sensor head and associated
The company says that the CRS39 is based around a proven and drive electronics – enabling improved north-finding-performance. •

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European

Courtesy Aker Solutions

NOVEMBER 2019 OFFSHORE | WWW.OFFSHORE-MAG.COM17

Expanded subsea campus aims to

LORENZO ROMAGNOLI, BAKER HUGHES

SUBSEA TECHNOLOGY is a part of the industry experiencing

FACTORY OF THE FUTURE

18 WWW.OFFSHORE-MAG.COM | OFFSHORE NOVEMBER 2019

The introduction of automation is

A SUBSEA VISION – ON LAND

NOVEMBER 2019 OFFSHORE | WWW.OFFSHORE-MAG.COM19

‘World-first’ resident subsea drone

JEREMY BECKMAN, EDITOR, EUROPE

EQUINOR’S NJORD Future project in the Norwegian Sea is the

Hydrone-R in night time trials off Trieste.

Equinor’s technical specifications and requirements. Finally, Saipem

20 WWW.OFFSHORE-MAG.COM | OFFSHORE NOVEMBER 2019

of open water. Another priority is demonstrating remote control

NOVEMBER 2019 OFFSHORE | WWW.OFFSHORE-MAG.COM21

Aerial view of the Mittelplate A drilling and

Digital twin extending life of North

SEAN MACKIE, WINTERSHALL DEA

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Aker Solutions’ subsea products are designed to be

Aker Solutions adopts ‘intelligent’

JEREMY BECKMAN, EDITOR, EUROPE

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The FASTsubsea pumping system

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Maersk Drilling converting North Sea

JEREMY BECKMAN, EDITOR, EUROPE

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Offshore: Is the Martin Linge development Equinor’s first

Offshore: Was Equinor’s desire to comply with future

Smidth: Maersk Drilling had been working for some time on

NOVEMBER 2019 OFFSHORE | WWW.OFFSHORE-MAG.COM31

Offshore: What is the background to the cloud-based

Smidth: This tool was developed in-house at Maersk Drilling with

Offshore: Finally, can you supply how the NOVOS drilling

Pedersen: NOVOS manages safe operation of rig equipment through

32 WWW.OFFSHORE-MAG.COM | OFFSHORE NOVEMBER 2019

Dual-vessel QUAD Lift technique

JEREMY BECKMAN, EDITOR, EUROPE

The Balder and Thialf

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The Balder and Thialf during

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which are supportive of this develop-

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Pre-project calibration approach

ONE AREA which can be overlooked

NOVEMBER 2019 OFFSHORE | WWW.OFFSHORE-MAG.COM37

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