Page 9: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 1977)

cedures were developed to lay and connect five pipelines and two power and control cables to the template. Every component of the system was subjected to ex- tensive testing. Initial production was achieved on February 11, 1977.

Oil can flow from the well, through a sub sea production manifold, through a separator and pump station, and through a pipeline to a nearby production platform. Throughout the produc- tion sequence, sensors monitor the flow of oil. Should abnormal conditions develop, the on-bottom safety control system will auto- matically shut in the affected part of the system. A remote control system provides the command and power link between a surface control center and the remotely operated equipment on the ocean floor. The remote control system, in conjunction with the safety alarm and shut-in system, is de- signed to provide fail-safe oper- ation of the Submerged Produc- tion System. Inverted pans over oil-producing equipment provide a maximum of pollution control in the event of an oil leak.

A key to the system is a maintenance manipulator. When needed, the manipulator is taken to the location and used by re- mote control to perform routine maintenance operations by re- placement of equipment on the

Submerged Production System.

The manipulator is launched from a workboat and descends to the template, where it moves along a track around the unit. A sys- tem of underwater television cameras built into the manipu- lator allows the operator on the surface to watch and control the movements of the manipulator.

Since the SPS was launched off- shore, the manipulator has been to the sea floor more than 30 times and has successfully per- formed the basic types of equip- ment installation and mainte- nance operations.

The Submerged Production

System project will enter its final phase in late summer when Exxon plans to install, connect and op- erate a special production riser designed to test an alternate sur- face connection for operation of the subsea system and for re- ceiving production from the ocean floor.

During the coming year, the company will conduct extensive performance and reliability tests of all Submerged Production Sys- tem components. An additional well will be brought on produc- tion to increase the flow rates through the unit. "By the time commercial reserves of oil and gas are discovered beneath the deep waters of the world's oceans,

Exxon wants to be ready to de- sign a Submerged Production Sys- tem to develop such reserves as safely, rapidly, and economically as possible," said Mr. Garner.

Propeller Club

Convention Includes

Shipyard Panel

John T. Gilbride, chairman of the board, Todd Shipyards Cor- poration, has accepted chairman- ship of the 1977 American Mer- chant Marine Conference to be held in Galveston, Texas, Octo- ber 12-14, in conjunction with the 51st Propeller Club Conven- \i> r M tion. The program will include a panel discussion on "American

Shipbuilding — National Security and Welfare," among others. Par- ticipants will be:

Ralph W. Cousins, president,

Tenneco's Newport News Ship- building. Subject: "Adequacy of the Shipbuilding and Ship Repair

Mobilization Base"; Leonard Erb, president, Ingalls Shipbuilding

Division, Litton Industries, Inc.

Subject: "Recent Influences on

Shipyard Activities"; C. Larry

French, president, National Steel & Shipbuilding Company. Sub- ject: "U.S. Shipbuilding — An

Economic Force," and John F.

Sullivan Jr., president, Bath Iron

Works Corporation. Subject: "Myths and Facts About Ameri- can Shipyards."

Edwin M. Hood, president of the Shipbuilders Council of Amer- ica, will serve as moderator.

When you're in America, do as the Spanish,

French, Germans,

Swedes and

Russians do...

Call (201) 494-3530 to get 24-hour service on any of your

Siemens automation equipment.

Our servicemen in North America, on-call around the clock, are Siemens factory-trained.

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Whether you need replacements, spare parts, or just repair, you can rely on Siemens for the fast, dependable service necessary to keep you on schedule... and to make sure you leave port with your Siemens equipment functioning at its best.

Siemens Corporation, Marine Service Division 186 Wood Avenue South, Iselin, New Jersey 08830

Telex—W4844491

SIEMENS

September 1, 1977 11