Subsea Systems: Tackling the Challenge of Reliability and Obsolescence

7 October 2009 Aberdeen Evening Meeting

Chairman Adrian Phillips, VP Business Development, Aker Solutions

Report by Adrian Phillips

Flyer

Overview

There are electro-hydraulic subsea control systems that have been in the water for over 25 years. Originally these were bespoke built using proprietary software and 'military' spec'd components. Now new products are widely produced to meet the growing demand for subsea production. Technology has matured over time with improvements to electrical and hydraulic power systems, but no more so than the world of computing which has bed to keep pace with the staggering developments of the digital age.

How are the legacy systems still performing and what will it take to enhance them or keep them running? As technology has evolved functionality has grown and standards have changed, is there a danger of trading reliability for complexity, and how will we protect against obsolescence?

Presentations

Reliability of Subsea Control Modules

Paul Broadbent, Subsea Systems Controls Engineer, Chevron

This presentation focused on the Subsea Control Module (SCM), with some insights into the areas that have historically caused lost production. It identified some of the main areas effecting production, as well as some of the problem areas for improvement, and made some predictions as to where the technology is likely to move in the near future.

Obsolescence in Subsea Systems

Rory MacKenzie, Senior Subsea Control System Engineer, Total

Total's presentation outlined the obsolescence management strategy that will be implemented on future Total subsea projects and the process they intend to implement with key suppliers. This will include definitions (as they apply to Total), recommendations and minimum requirements.

Field Life Extension

Some 25 years on from BP Magnus and the Shell UMC, there is value in field life extension through upgrades and new technology. Such opportunities are threatened by the obsolescence of subsea equipment, particularly in the case of electronic and software subsystems for multiplexed electro-hydraulic controls, and where subsea and downhole sensor interface standards have changed over the years.

SemStar5

Rod Tester, Services Product Manager – Controls, GE Oil & Gas

Solutions on hand for brownfield extensions, improved oil recovery with a focus on obsolescence management techniques built-in to the design of the new Vecto-Gray SemStar5 subsea electronics module as a core building block for control and instrumentation upgrades.

Low Power SEM

Robin Slater, VP Technology – Control Systems, Aker Solutions

A low power iCon SEM designed to interface with legacy subsea networks for field expansion and reduce overall power consumption for new field developments.