Page 73: of Offshore Engineer Magazine (Apr/May 2013)

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Subsea Tiebacks

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PATENTS RECEIvED & PENDING form. The lag time associated with give our customers a wide range of cyclic loads will eventually fatigue the remote distance, sometimes as fexible platforms to work from.” and wear out even the most robust much as 200 km away, could infu- equipment. Risers, wellheads, con- ence the amount of time the opera- Riser technology nectors and casing all have a fnite tor has to diagnose and react to a Another challenge is the need for fatigue life, but it depends on the problem or changing situation.” new monitoring technology, says cyclic frequency and amplitude.

To reduce lag time and losses Skeels. “In deepwater current and “This is where monitoring comes associated with electric and fuid extreme weather places, like the in. Risers soon will need robust, transmission over long offsets and North Sea, where the ocean acts long-term instrumentation to give ultra deepwater, FMC Technology is like a washing machine, drilling, manufacturers, contractors and working on new-generation subsea workover and production risers are operators a real-time scorecard on power and control systems. subjected to an increasing number the cyclic abuse Mother Nature has “We are working toward what of bending cycles and adverse dished out, and how much remain-

Tyler Schilling coined as the ‘sili- loads over longer durations. These ing life is in their equipment as a con seafoor,’ where resident ROVs loads often fnd their way into result,” says Skeels. “This will give service electric-actuated process- foundations of subsea wells while everyone a better understanding ing valves and localized hydraulic attached to a drilling rig, spar or of when and where to repair and power units at the subsea factory.” foating facility.” replace hardware and, more impor-

Electric power lines will power Traditionally, wells were drilled tantly, avoid unforeseen calamities.” and control subsea processing and and accessed for only a couple of Riser confgurations are also pumping directly while subsea months, then left structurally static evolving. All fexible pipe, top- controls, either electric or electro- on the sea foor while the well was tensioned steel, fexible risers, and hydraulic, will branch off to operate producing. Now, operators are steel-catenary risers are used to subsea trees and manifolds, he says. focused on the wells for far longer tie back to increasing numbers of “We are still in the early stages, but periods, drilling deeper and per- foating facilities in ever deeper we see exciting days ahead through forming much more complicated and remote locations. Although the the use of ROV robotics, to be a horizontal drilling and completion application drives the decision of force multiplier of technologies to maneuvers. All of this time under which type of riser to be used, oper- oedigital.com oedigital.com April 2013 | OE 7575 oe_flowlines.indd 75 4/1/13 2:01 AM