Long Distance Subsea Control

Sigurd Moe

Cairo, 12. February .2017

Agenda

Introduction
Subsea control system architecture
Power and communication
Technology opportunities

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 Long distance field charcteristics

• Gas
• 50 - 300 km subsea to beach
• 600 km studied and deemed feasible
• Flow assurance crucial
• Hydrate control
• Multiphase (Wet gas) metering
• Continous hydrate inhibitor injection (MEG)
• System for remote control of injection per well
• Slug handling Shell Ormen Lange – 120 km Subsea to beach Norway
Subsea System by TechnipFMC, production start 2007
• Large bore, lots of energy, enhanced monitoring
being requested
• Sand detection
• Vibration monitoring
• Leakage detection
• Need for accurate positioning of chokes to balance
wells Laggan Tormore
• Electric choke valve resolution advantageous
• Gas Compression often considered in late life
Total Laggan Tormore – 187 km Subsea to beach UK. Subsea System
by TechnipFMC, production start 2016 Long Distance Subsea Control | 3
Field- and region specific architecture

Cluster Solution Template Solution

Except distribution of power and signal, control system components are basically the same

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Functionality - Subsea Control System

1. Safety
- Automatically or manually shuts in the subsea system
in abnormal situations

2. Operator Interface during Daily Operation

- Operation of subsea valves and chokes
- Monitoring of production parameters and system
integrity

3. Provides Data for Reservoir Management

- Monitors, stores and trends pressure and temperature
and other reservoir related parameters

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Control System – Topside/Land

Topside
Master
Gateway
Control
Station
Hydraulic
Power unit
Subsea Power &
CommunicationUnit

Injection
Chemicals

Umbilical
Hangoff

Control
Umbilical

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Subsea Equipment

Power consumption:
• 200 – 300 W per well

Communication, typical:
• 1- 5 kbps per well for normal
operation
• 1 Mbps + if seismic data or video
streaming

Tree Mounted Controls - Instrumentation and Subsea Control Module

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Umbilical and Distribution

Umbilical

Template distribution Cluster distribution

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Power and Communication Architecture

Communication Point to point Subsea Router Module

on power cable fiber optical Distribution using (SRM) with topside
communication Subsea Router Module functionality “Topside
(SRM) repeated subsea”

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Communication on power cable

• Normally lowest cost solution

• Uses power lines for communication
• No subsea router needed
• No fiberoptics
• Shorter distances, up to 80 km typically
• But 120 km field proven @ 1200 bps
• Typically two (redundant) cable pairs per 4
wells
• 8 - 12 wells possible
• Up to 900 V in operation
Multidrop • Communication speed
communication
• 1.5 Mbps up to 40 km
on power cable
• 100 kbps up to 80 km

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Principle of operation – signal on power line

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Why Signal on Power Line?

Signal transmission over the power lines will eliminate the need for dedicated signal cables;
• Increases reliability as component count (cable elements and connector pins) is divided by 2
• Reduces control umbilical cost with typically more than 5%
• Increases distance as power cables normally have larger cross section than signal cables

Umbilical with separate signal cable Umbilical for communication on power line

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Point to point fiber optical communication

• Up to 200 - 250 km typically

• No subsea routers required
• Fiberoptic communication
• High speed (1 Gbps)
• Noise immune
• Power distribution 900 V – 3 kV AC

Point to point
fiber optical
communication

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Distribution using Subsea Router Module (SRM)

• Typically 250 km with 3 kV AC

• One redundant pair of cables for many (20+) wells
• Fiberoptic communication for high speed (1 Gbps)
• Ethernet distribution locally (100 Mbps - 100 m)
• Optionally modem to “repeat topside subsea”

Subsea Router Module

Distribution using (SRM) with topside
Subsea Router Module functionality “Topside
(SRM) repeated subsea”

Subsea Router Module

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 Fiber optic experience Fiber repeater
One-to-one
One-to-many

Fibers to central
subsea router 2013, Laggan Tormore (Total)
CoP infield

Fibers to subsea router

Fiber only 2011, Pazflor (Total)
Ethernet to SCM

Fibers to subsea router

CoP as backup
Ethernet to XT SCM 2007, Tyrihans (Statoil)
Deeper water
Long distance
Fibers to XT SCM
CoP as backup 2005, Ormen Lange (Shell)
Shallow water
Short distance
Fibers to XT SCM
CoP as backup 2001, Fram Vest (Statoil)
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Fiber optic communication system capabilities

Bandwith / offset:
• 1GE (Gigabit Ethernet)
40dB without in-line attenuation ~125 km
• 100M
51dB without in-line attenuation ~ 190 km
• 10M
60dB without in-line attenuation . ~225 km

Capabilities are based on 0.2dB/km loss and 15dB margin

Assumptions:
• 0.2dB/km loss in fiber. Low loss fiber with 0.175dB/km loss is available.
• Conservative margins included:
• 5dB loss for ageing and variation in cable vs. umbilical length
• 10dB margin included.

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Power - 3 kV AC vs 1.2 kV DC - 167 km example
AC parameters: DC parameters:
Transmission 3.0 kVAC, 167km Transmission 1.2 kVDC, 167km
Distribution 600Vac, up to 6.6km Distribution 400Vdc up to 6.6km

AC DC
Transmission to single SDU, exp. Pair 16 mm2 1 pair 35 mm2
25% voltage drop for 1610W redundancy A+B: 2 pair redundancy A+B: 2 pair

Distribution from SDU to single Pair 6 mm2 Pair 10 mm2

load, exp. ΔU=5%, 300W Red. A+B: 2 pair Red. A+B: 2 pair
Efficiency Pout / Sin [%] With L-compensation: ≈19% No compensation necessary:
Without: ≈8% ≈70%

• AC voltage is easily transformed, simple transformer instead of a complex DC/DC converter

• AC has no issue with earth fault (would damage cathodic protection in a DC system)
• AC has lower efficiency – but of marginal importance for a control system (low power)
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Hydraulic System – Feasible at 600 km!

SCM LP header

• 7” gate valve: Opening: 42 sec, Closing: 17 sec Pilot header

• Charging LP system: 60 hours COVLP

Override
compensator

Exhaust
• Sequence: opening 6 wells within 3 hours. valve

LCF
• Quick dump valves for shut down
DCVLP

Boost chamber Spring chamber

compensator compensator
Umbilical
R P S
to HPU

Actuator
COVLP = Change Over Valve Low Pressure
DCVLP = Directional Control Valve Low Pressure
LCF = Last Chance Filter

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Long Distance Cost Reduction Technology Options

• Control Umbilical Cost Reduction is the key!

• The rest of the control system is basically unchanged!

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Control Buoy – Mossel Bay South Africa example

Mosselbaai

FA PLATFORM FA Field

Control buoy FAD Field

FBE Field

EH Field

SDU 1
EBF Controls gas/condensate production via
Field
LAT 2
a telecoms link to the host F-A Platform
SDU 2

EM Field LAT 1
Provides storage and injection facilities
for chemical hydrate inhibition at the
PLEM wellheads during and immediately after
a well start up

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Minimize Cable Count

• Communication on power cable, eliminates separate signal cables

• For very long distances:
• Routers to reduce number of cables
• 3 kV AC to reduce cable cross section

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Eliminate High Pressure (HP) Lines

• Hydraulic Pressure Intensifier (HPI)

• Can be integrated part of SCM
• No high pressure at surface
• Proven in use
• Topside
• Workover
MQC plate mounted HPI
• Subsea

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Replace hydraulics with electric actuators

Electric actuator technology:

• In general less sensitive to long offsets and water depth

Choke
• Improved response time and resolution
• Simultaneous operations
G2i Actuator G3 Actuator for subsea gas
• No choke hydraulic fluid consupltion
compression

Large valves:
• Less accumulation and fluid consumption (e.g. Manifold)
• Save space and weight by removing hydraulic actuators

All-electric Tree a future

• Higher potential on long offsets
• Still maturing technology

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Electric Choke Actuation

Hydraulic Stepping actuator G2i Electric Actuator

Electric choke valve control:

• Quick and accurate

• Choke vibration information and exact position available

• Actuator retrievable independent of choke

• Eliminates largest hydraulic fluid consumer

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Manifold Valve Actuation – Distribution Simplified

Conventional Electro- Hydraulic Manifold All Electric Manifold

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Application History – Electric Systems 2001-2016, Total Units
Sold:
• 205 eActuators
• 38 eSCMs
Main TechnipFMC systems have been for manifolds, chokes and flow modules.
8 million operating hours recorded:

2001 Statoil Statfjord SSP 2006 Statoil Åsgard 2006 Statoil Norne K 2008 Petrobras Albacora RWI

16 eActuators and 4 eSCMs 2 eActuators for manifold 21 eActuators and 6 eSCMs 21 eActuators and 7 eSCMs for
for choke actuation valve actuation for choke actuation pump system valve actuation

2008 Woodside Pluto 2009 Statoil Gjøa 2009 Statoil Norne M 2010 Petrobras Roncador

1 eActuator and 1eSCM 6 eActuators for choke actuation 2 eActuators and 2 eSCMs 6 eActuators for water
for pig valve actuation for pig valve actuation injection choke actuation

2011 Statoil Smørbukk 2011 Statoil Vigdis NE 2011 Statoil Åsgard Gas Comp. 2015 Statoil Johan Sverdrup

2 eActuators and 2 eSCMs 2 eActuators and 2 eSCMs 79 eActuators for choke and 43 eActuators for choke and
for choke actuation for choke actuation control valve actuation manifold valve operation

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Thank You!

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