Subsea Technologies in Challenging Scenarios

Solange GuedesE&P Executive Manager

•Challenging Scenarios

•Petrobras strategy to address the technological challenges

•Development and application of new technologies

•Conclusion

Subsea Technologies in Challenging Scenarios

Challenging Scenarios

CHALLENGING SCENARIOS

• Existing challenges before pre-salt discovery:– Mature Fields

– high water cut;

– existing production units limited in processing and injection capacities;

– reservoirs need of pressure maintenance for oil recovery;

– extending life of existing equipment, risers, pipelines and FPUs.

– Marginal Fields

– small leads in remote area or within medium distances from existing FPU.

– New Fields

– heavy oil (API < 22);

– ultra-deep waters (> 1500 m).

• Pre-Salt issues

PRE SALT PROVINCE

Well Tested

HC Campus

Exploratory blocks

Pre-salt Reservoirs

• Ultra deep water conditions• Risers

• Flow assurance

• Logistics• 300 km from shore;

• Lack of infrastructure.

• Fluids with contaminants

PRE-SALT CHALLENGING SCENARIO

Pre-Salt - a new scenario

Wax deposition and oil gelling

FLOW ASSURANCE CHALLENGES

• Strategy: balance between maximum pipeline length, thermal insulation and pigging development of chemical inhibitors as contingency start-up procedure based on laboratory experiments for gel strength and

simulations

For Tupi lead, no major challenges.

Onshore field, BrazilOffshore field, Brazil

• Hydrates in Pre-Salt, may be aggravated by WAG recovery and high CO2 content• Prevention strategy using thermal insulation and operational procedures

FLOW ASSURANCE CHALLENGES

Inhibition by downhole continuous chemical injection

Periodical squeeze operations Low sulfate sea water injection

Possible inorganic scale tendency for carbonates and sulfates

• Deepwater riser solutions already available

Flexible pipe riser

Free Standing Hybrid Riser

Steel Catenary Riser

RISER AND SUBSEA PIPELINE CHALLENGES

• NEW DEVELOPMENTS UNDERWAY

– Qualification of subsea flexible pipes for 2500 m of water depth and

for fluids with contaminants (CO2 and H2S).

– Basic design of steel lazy wave riser: carbon steel pipe with

metallurgically bonded internal clad

SLWR

(Steel Lazy Wave Riser)

RISER AND SUBSEA PIPELINE CHALLENGES

Inconel clad pipe

Petrobras strategy to address the technological challenges

TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM

ON NEW EXPLORATORY

FRONTIERS

CORPORATE TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRAMS

PHASED FIELD DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT

Production pilots enable risk reduction through better understanding of the

reservoir behavior and allow testing new technologies that will be considered

on the definitive development system

Jubarte Field: artificial lift by electrical submersible pump, being the pump

located out of the well, just above the subsea tree, 1070 m horizontal well in

unconsolidated sandstone with OHGP, topside heavy oil processing, …..

Deployment of new technologies

SUBSEA RAW WATER INJECTION

Injection well # 1Three units for Albacora - starting operation in 2010

Intake pipe Injection well # 2SRWI

station

Injection well # 1

• 1000 m WD

• 50 µm filter

• Nitrate and bactericide injection

Enable water injection in the field with only minor modifications on the existing Floating Production Unit.

Jubarte, Golfinho, Espadarte and

Cascade-Chinook

SUBSEA PUMPING SYSTEMS

Achieve increased flow rates in deepwater application using ESP, with no need to enter the well to replace the pump.

• Mudline ESP in dummy well or on a skid

MULTIPHASE HELICO-AXIAL PUMPING

Barracuda - starting operation in 2011

• 20 API; 80 m³/m³ GOR

• 1040 m WD

• 14 km tie-back

• High boost technology

Helico-axial

Pump

P-48

Boost production of deepwater subsea well (tieback to P-48 platform).

SUBSEA OIL-WATER SEPARATION

Prototype for Marlim field, starting operation in 2011

Platform debottlenecking, maintaining well production and water injection.

•22 API

•1000 m WD

•Sand handling

•Demulsifier

DOWNHOLE PUMPING SYSTEMS

Ongoing development for 2000 hp ESP

(7 kV electrical transmission) – Marlim

Leste - 2012

• Subsea ESP (downhole ESP)– Consolidated technology;

– Good experience with RJS-221, RJS-477, RJS-320 and other wells;

– 1200 hp ESP in JUB-06 well, connected to P-34 platform (as depicted)

Extending limits: high power subsea ESP in long tie-back well

SUBSEA GAS-LIQUID SEPARATION

Congro, Corvina Malhado: project to be sanctioned.(planned for 2012)

P-9

Maintain production with reduced OPEX (by replacing the existing FPU by a subsea system)

• Gas-Liquid separation using VASPS technology

• 0,5 MW near-horizontal ESP on subsea skid

• 25-31 API

• 180-290 m WD

Conclusion

CONCLUSION

For mature fields applications, the subsea solutions should improve

their competitiveness in terms of CAPEX;

Pre-Salt Province brings new technological opportunities that will

require joint effort from operators, equipment suppliers, service

companies and research institutes;

Petrobras is considering the development of the following subsea

systems into a roadmap approach:

High Pressure Multiphase Pump

Compact Water-Oil and Gas-Liquid Separation

Gas Compression

Electrical Distribution & Transmission

High local content is required

Thank You !

Tusen Takk !

Obrigado !