Subsea Technology Perspective on the Macondo Blowout

In March 2011, FMC Technologies received a US$125 million order from Brazil’s Petrobras, for 32 subsea trees, which would complete the 107-tree agreement that was reached by the two companies in February 2010. FMC Technologies has been participating in the Brazilian oil and gas industry for many years, supplying over 300 trees to the market in its history, but a new relationship is now developing between the two companies. At OTC 2012, a Spotlight on New Technology Award will be given to a new technology developed jointly between FMC Technologies and Petrobras for use at Brazilian deepwater fields. The subsea processing system for Petrobras’ Marlin field will be the world’s first system for deepwater subsea separation of heavy oil and water, and allows for water injection at wells in order to boost production, and can operate at a depth of 900m below the surface. The technology will remove this system from the FPSO, debottlenecking the processes on board.

Whilst the system will utilize existing technologies for separation and sand management, it will also feature some unique new designs, such as a new pipe separator, which was developed in cooperation with Statoil. The system was engineered jointly between FMC Technologies’ operations in Brazil, Norway and the Netherlands. Manufacturing and integration took place at the company’s Rio de Janeiro facilities, and will be serviced from its base in Macaé, Brazil.

This type of collaboration with leading deepwater specialists is destined to play an important role in Pemex’s success in gaining access to deepwater technology and developing unique solutions to Mexico’s upcoming challenges.