TTA7

Technology strategy for Deepwater and Subsea Production Systems 2008 update
Lead Party Shell TTA group companies and organisations: Statoil, Hydro, BP, Chevron, Vetco, FMC, Sinte , Stavanger !niversity, "nocean, #nV, A$er %vaerner

Table of contents
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3.1 Arctic Development Systems...........................................................................................................................6 3.2 Harsh Environment Floater............................................................................................................................7 3.3 3.# ltra!eep Floater "ith Dry Trees...................................................................................................................7 ltra Deep"ater $isers....................................................................................................................................%

3.& S'bsea (ro!'ction Systems ...........................................................................................................................% 3.6 ltra)!eep"ater *nstallation...........................................................................................................................+

3.7 *,$ Technolo-ies A ./$0........................................................................................................................11 3.% A!aptive an! Fle2ible !evelopment systems................................................................................................11

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E2ec'tive s'mmary
This TTA covers deepwater floating production systems, subsea systems (except subsea processing technologies which are addressed by TTA6) and arctic development systems (in both shallow and deepwater). The total hydrocarbon reserves worldwide, which are enabled by the technologies under this TTA exceed 4 billion boe. !or !eep"ater developments the technical challen-es relate to (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) developing robust solutions for harsh environmental conditions" low reservoir pressure (re#uiring artificial lift)" significant subsurface uncertainties" reducing recoverable volumes.

!or s'bsea systems the challenge is to maintain or reduce installation costs as we move into deep and ultradeep water and also to contribute to reducing the cost of subsea wells. $onsidering developments in the arctic, we need to build on the %nowledge gained from the first generation of arctic pro&ects offshore 'a%halin in water depths of ( ) * m. There is a need to go beyond +ravity ,ase 'tructures (+,') to develop floating systems capable of drilling and production in an arctic environment. Also there is a need to enable subsea solutions in the arctic. To address the above technical challen-es the main priority areas for TTA- where both p'blic an! in!'stry f'n!in- is needed are. Arctic Systems. The /01 priority areas include. (i) ice and iceberg data, (ii) ice loading on offshore platforms, (iii) development of arctic floaters. Deep"ater Systems. (i) !loaters for harsh environments (ii) $iser systems for dry tree units in ultradeep water (iii) *nstallation methods for ultradeep water which avoid expensive, heavy crane vessels S'bsea Systems. (i) 1evelop systems compatible with slim and slender technology, (ii) develop large bore systems for gas developments, (iii) intervention in ultra2deep water and (iv) lower cost umbilicals for long offset and deep water (v) enable power from shore. 3ther / 0 1 areas with lower priority are listed in the report.

*ntro!'ction

This Technology Target Area covers deepwater floating production systems, subsea systems and arctic development systems. The floating production system includes the floater, station %eeping and risers. The subsea system includes subsea trees, manifolds, &umpers, flowlines and pipelines" it does not include subsea processing technologies because these are addressed by TTA6. Arctic production systems for both shallow and deepwater are covered by this TTA. The scope includes development of new solutions, design aspects, constructability and installation. The global !eep"ater potential is estimated to be about 56 billion boe. The ma&ority of undiscovered hydrocarbons in the 7$' are expected to be in deepwater. 7ew discoveries in deepwater are characterised by. increasing water depth up to 4 m" often remote from existing infrastructure" low reservoir pressure re#uiring artificial lift, sometimes poor #uality crude" some high pressure, low permeability reservoirs" significant subsurface uncertainties" smaller recoverable volumes with maturing hydrocarbon provinces. $ost effective development of this opportunity will re#uire new technology to cope with the above challenges and 7orway is well placed to play a significant role in this to ensure maximum value creation from the 7$' and increased export to the global deepwater mar%et. 3il and gas reserves in the arctic region are estimated to be in excess of 4 billion boe, but exploration of this region is still in its infancy. To date arctic developments have been either onshore or in water depths less than * m and 8moderate9 arctic conditions, li%e 'a%halin where mobile first year ice with heavy ridges, occurs for six months of the year. The challenges for exploration and production increase as we move to deeper waters, where bottom2founded structures may not be feasible, to areas with iceberg occurrences li%e areas of the ,arents 'ea and regions with multi2year ice such as the ,eaufort 'ea, with ice thic%nesses up to 6m and ice %eel depths that regularly exceed ( m. The whole of the arctic region provides an export opportunity for 7orway to capitalise on present strengths and to further develop arctic and offshore related technologies. The /ussian arctic is seen as particularly attractive for 7orway because of geographical proximity, and because the development of offshore and arctic reserves is relatively new for /ussia. 7orwegian industry has already been involved in ma&or arctic pro&ects, including :ibernia and Terra 7ova in the $anadian arctic, 'a%halin ;; in the /ussian arctic and is therefore well placed for participation in new pro&ects.

TTA vision

0'r vision is to enhance 3or"ay4s position as a lea!in- technolo-y comm'nity "ithin !eep"ater5 s'bsea an! arctic pro!'ction systems. This "ill be achieve! "ith both in!'stry !evelopment to resolve short term an! pro6ect specific nee!s an! "ith p'blic f'n!e! !evelopment in a lon-er term perspective.

F't're challen-es an! technolo-y -aps

The technical challenges and technology gaps which need to be closed in order to realise the TTA- vision are discussed below and are summarised in Table 4.5 . Table 3.17 Strate-ic (riorities an! 8ey 9hallen-es for TTA7
s ' c o F

(riorities

8ey challen-es
<arginal and Arctic field developments, increased export and competence development

Time an! Financin-

;ce and iceberg data

Arctic !loaters 'ubsea and pipelines in arctic Floaters :arsh >nvironment !loater =ltradeep !loater with dry trees S'bsea$isers5 Flo"lines5

=nderstand ice characteristics and ice loading on structures >stablish threat from icebergs in some regions e.g. <edium?long term. ,arents 'ea. 'plit 1evelop floating systems capable of drilling and public?industrial funding production in arctic environments. ;mproved environmental data base @rotection of subsea wells and pipelines from ice gouging :ull and riser interaction for semis and !@'3s and hull response in extreme environment" Aor% vessel behaviour in extreme environment. 1evelop long stro%e riser tensioners /educe floater motion to enable top2tensioned risers !low assurance challenges and increased need for artificial lift " 1ynamic cable to enable power from shore" Cimit riser hang off loads"

Arctic

<ainly industrial funding

=ltradeepwater /isers, expanding todayBs operational limit.

Cimit cost of subsea wells through use of slim well <edium?long term. technology to reduce the well cost and large bore gas 'plit 'ubsea Trees, <anifolds, Dumpers, wells to reduce the number of wells public?industrial !lowlines, @ipelines funding 7ew materials for insulation and buoyancy, compatible with the new deepwater re#uirements $ost effective methods of installing subsea e#uipment, without re#uiring use of expensive heavy crane vessels 1eep and =ltradeepwater /eliable weather window forecasts, including polar ;nstallation lows" ;nfluences from deepwater currents. ;</ Technologies (:ybrid A=E?/3E) 1evelop :ybrid A=E?/3E system capable of wor%ing without surface vessel support. 1evelop A=E for inspection of long pipelines <edium?long term. 'plit public?industrial funding <edium?long term. 'plit public?industrial funding

3e" systems

Adaptive 0 !lexible 1evelopment :igh cost of adapting wells and surface systems to 'ystems different field characteristics.

3.1

Arctic Development Systems

7orwegian industry has already been involved in the first generation of arctic pro&ects, including :ibernia and Terra 7ova in the $anadian arctic, 'a%halin ;; in the /ussian arctic and the ongoing 'hto%man development. The challenges are associated with defining the ice environment, translating this into effects (loadings) on the installations and development of new platform concepts for new functional re#uirements. This needs to be accomplished whilst meeting very stringent environmental standards. The arctic is environmentally a very sensitive area because of the presence of rare and endangered species, fisheries and its importance in the earthBs sensitive ecosystems. !urthermore, due to its cold climate the area is relatively slow to recover from environmental impact. Also because of large integrated installations with large volumes of hydrocarbons, an accident could potentially cause a lot of harm to the environment and hence any incident will catch public attention. The technology gaps for the arctic development systems are. 5. ,e-a pro6ects7 @ro&ects in the arctic tend to be large multi2billion dollar integrated pro&ects developing remote mega2fields. This is a technical as well as financial challenge because we need to go beyond existing solutions in terms of well siFes, production throughput, system complexity, export distances, etc. The additional re#uirements of winteriFation of the facilities, coping with ice, snow and the low temperatures, lead to increased complexity, additional weight and hence an upward pressure in weight and cost. *ce an! iceber- !ata7 3ne %ey technical challenge is to develop reliable databases on ice characteristics for the arctic regions of interest (notably ,arents 'ea, Gara 'ea and 'ea of 3%hots% offshore 'a%halin), particularly those parameters that determine loading on structures (e.g. ice thic%ness, %eel depth, crushing strength) and have a bearing on operations. :ow to address the problem of icing from snow and sea spray of structures, both from a load perspective and how to limit it. Another challenge in certain regions, e.g. ,arents 'ea is migrating icebergs, which may interfere with operations or even impact the installation. $an we design a structure to withstand iceberg impact ) or can impact be avoided by ice management actionsH $an the wor% season for installation and intervention operations be stretched into the ice seasonH 3ther challenges include potential for ice gouging of pipelines and subsea systems by icebergs or ice %eels.

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!ig. 4.5. $oncrete +ravity ,ase 'tructures for 'a%halin ;;, /ussia, Dune (

3.

Arctic :!eep"ater;7 To date arctic developments have been either onshore or in water depths less than 5 m and 8moderate9 arctic conditions, li%e 'a%halin where drifting first year ice, typically (m thic%, with occasional ridges, occurs for six months of the year. The challenges for exploration and production increase significantly as we move to deeper waters, where bottom2founded structures may not be feasible, to areas with iceberg occurrences and to regions, li%e Alas%a 7orth 'lope, with multi2year ice and thic%nesses up to ( m. 'ubsea solutions are attractive since they help avoid surface piercing structures, but we need to address and resolve challenges with drilling of subsea wells, subsea intervention under the ice, flow assurance over long distances at low temperature. There is also a need to improve available environmental data bases (waves, wind, current).

3.2 Harsh Environment Floater Typical harsh environment floaters have been shown to be successful in several development pro&ects but there have been incidents of mooring line failures, riser failures and hull crac%ing. ;t is mainly the interaction between floater and riser?mooring system that is the new challenge when moving into harsh environment and deeper water. 3ther factors may be distance to other infrastructure (also enabling development of small fields) and distance to shore. The main challenges related to floaters in a harsh environment in deeper waters are. ;nteraction (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) ;nteraction between vessel, risers and mooring" :eavier mooring system due to increased water depth" Carger storage capacity due to fewer infrastructures nearby, li%e pipelines and?or other existing platforms with storage and offloading capability. Aave impact into dec% structure and production facilities" prediction and analysis of platform and wor% vessel motions in extreme seastates (e.g. floaters designed for ice loads may move differently from standard vessels).

(o"er from the shore. To reduce $3( emissions resulting from offshore @ower +eneration it is re#uired or encouraged to get power from the shore via an electric cable. This power can be either an A$ power transmission option or a 1$ option. The cost for a long (e.g. 5( %m) subsea power cable from a 1$ system could potentially be lower than for an e#uivalent A$ system. !or floaters in a harsh environment it is necessary to develop an electric cable, capable of dynamic service through the water column. This may re#uire #ualification testing as well as analytical wor%.

3.3

ltra!eep Floater "ith Dry Trees

=ltradeepwater is considered to be more than ( m. @rospects in ultradeepwater are currently seen in the +ulf of <exico, ,raFil and Aest Africa. This means that the main opportunities are within technology export, but in addition there is synergy with 7orwegian deepwater frontier ('ection 4.( above).

The %ey challenges for surface wellheads on ultradeepwater floaters are dependent on the type of floater. 5. '@A/ (deep draft floater) 2 3verall platform siFe as impacted by the increased riser weight (aircans grow and impact hull" incentive to replace aircans by hydraulic tensioners).

(.

'emis?barges with dry trees 2 3verall platform siFing 0 riser system tensioning. /iser tensioners will influence platform motions" alternatively use of aircans will attract environmental loads 2 Cong stro%e tensioners. Arrangement and reliability All concepts have challenges associated with installation of the mooring system anchors (covered in section 4.6) 3.# ltra Deep"ater $isers

$urrently deepwater field developments down to (4 m are under construction where designing a reliable riser system is one of the %ey challenges combined with a significant cost increase for riser systems. Ahen moving to ultra deepwater (=1A) fields ((* ) 4* m) the need for cost2efficient and reliable riser systems will be even stronger to bridge the increased water column. The main challenges with increased water depth are. 5. (. ;ncreased collapse resistance due to increased hydrostatic pressure ) especially challenging for flexible risers. /iser towers offer clear advantages with increasing water depth (for systems supporting subsea wells)" challenges with riser tower include provision of thermal insulation, riser tower transportation and installation. !low assurance re#uirements become more difficult to fulfil ) insulation?active heating, gas lift?>'@ etc. Aeight management ) limit riser hang2off loads" /iser interference ) design challenge increases with water depth" ;nstallation ) very limited number of vessels that can install risers at =1A" Achieve sufficient fatigue life ) fatigue damage due to vortex2induced vibrations (E;E) and impact of sour service /iser ;ntegrity <anagement (/;<) ) ensure a reliable riser system throughout the field life. Another challenge not necessarily lin%ed to =1A is disconnectable riser systems to limit the field facilities exposure to hurricanes?typhoons or icebergs.

4. 4. *. 6. -. 6. I.

3.& S'bsea (ro!'ction Systems The overall business challenge is to develop solutions for subsea trees, manifolds, &umpers, for ultradeepwater without increase in costs. The following technical challenges are identified for the subsea production systems. 5. Cimit the drilling costs, both with respect to the deeper water column and the different well characteristics in deepwater fields" hereunder both slim well technology to reduce the well cost and large bore gas well technology to reduce the number of wells.

(. 4. 4. *.

7eed for e#uipment, trees, manifolds, &umpers, flowlines and umbilicals that reduce the installation re#uirement. 7eed e#uipment that provides for minimum environmental impact (Fero harmful discharge). This is of particular importance for arctic developments. 7eed for more precise monitoring of the wells to enhance the recovery, involving communication e#uipment subsea and downhole 7eed to develop and?or #ualify new materials for insulation and buoyancy, compatible with the new deepwater re#uirements in terms of pressure and temperature.

3.6 ltra)!eep"ater *nstallation A clear trend in the offshore industry is that more and more of the production e#uipments are installed on the seabed, the installation module weights are growing and field developments are executed in increasingly deeper waters. These development trends strongly challenge the offshore installation industry to continuously improve their ability to perform such activities and to develop new and cost effective installation technologies in order to meet the industry needs. <ore emphasis should be put on design of installation friendly e#uipment and as a part of a system design. The following gaps are identified for the installation activities. 5. 3e" an! cost effective installation metho!s for !eep"ater ;ncreased installation module weights in deepwater developments will re#uire new alternative installation techni#ues in order to meet cost2efficiency and safety re#uirements. 7ew and innovative installation techni#ues have to be developed and matured through analysis, model testing and (full) scale verification activities. $eliable "eather "in!o" < vessel response forecasts7 /eliable weather forecast is crucial for design and analysis of offshore installations, planning of the operations and including selection of suitable installation vessel and e#uipments as such. =i-ht"ei-ht Deployment System > E2tension A * Tonnes lightweight deployment system has been developed and successfully applied in a 5 m waterdepth installation during ( * (1emo ( ). ;n order to meet the industry goal for maximum module weight installations in deepwater it is important to extend the capabilities for such lightweight systems up to (* Tonnes (i.e. * Tonnes in a dual fall configuration) in a short time frame and even higher in a long term perspective. !urther development and #ualification activities have to be launched in order to meet these needs. 4. Safe installation operations $ritical phases during the installation operation are lift off, lift through the wave Fone, immersion through the water column and landing at seabed. >xisting analytical methods and tools have to be supported by extensive model testing in order to achieve reliable predictions. /eliable methods and tools for prediction of forces and corresponding response effects during all phases of the installation are of high importance and have to be further developed and validated ;n a situation where an unexpected event occurs during an operation, technology and systems to conduct (automatic) control actions in order to limit uncontrolled response should be available. 1evelopment and #ualification activities within this area have to be further pursued. I

(.

4.

*.

.$ s'pport in installation operations E/ (Eirtual /eality) technology is rapidly maturing and is being introduced into a wide range of application areas. EisualiFation techni#ues combined with integration of different sets of real time data creates a strong and increasingly important tool in planning and execution of high complexity operations including marine installation activities. ;n deepwater, /3E assisted installation is challenging due to reduced visibility due to lac% of daylight and ingress of mud particles in the water. ;n combination with high installation module weights, complex e#uipment and increasingly deeper waters, installation operations becomes more challenging. E/ technology may be an important tool in order to solve and control this increased challenge.

6.

Deep"ater c'rrents7 Emore %nowledge about deepwater current profiles (magnitude and direction) and their effects on deepwater operations.

3.7

*,$ Technolo-ies A ./$0.

The challenges for the ;</ technologies are.

Traditionally, subsea inspection and intervention has been carried out with divers and increasingly /emotely 3perated Eehicles (/3Es), the latter being the only method applicable in deep water. ;n both cases, a large, complex vessel is re#uired to carry various support systems, in the case of /3Es a launch and recovery system with control umbilical is re#uired. As the industry moves to deeper water, the physical demands become greater, the operational complexity increases and the efficiency of the system reduces. Autonomous =nderwater Eehicles (A=Es) operate without an umbilical and are less dependent on surface vessel support to the point where a reduced specification (cheaper) vessel can be used or, in the future, a vessel may not be re#uired at all. These advantages will facilitate increased subsea inspection and maintenance, reduce costs and significantly improve response time. 2. $isers <anaging integrity of flexible risers has proved to be a challenge especially with respect to damage to the external sheeth, aging of the polymer and collapse of the carcass. !or dry gas risers internal vibrations have also caused fatigue problems both subsea and topside. 3. Flo"lines an! (ipelines ;ntegrity surveillance of longer multiphase flowlines in deeper and colder water represents a challenge, so does 8flowline wal%ing9 introduced by increased temperature and pressure cycling. 3ptimum repair tools and access will also be hard to find as one goes deeper and more remote. 3.% A!aptive an! Fle2ible !evelopment systems

The development of Adaptive and !lexible systems for deepwater developments has been identified as a priority area in order to manage better the cost of coping with subsurface

uncertainties, in particular the uncertainty in recoverable reserve volumes and compartmentaliFation of the reservoir. 7ew generation, adaptive and flexible development systems are needed which are better able to cope with subsurface uncertainties. As we move into deepwater the cost of coping with subsurface uncertainties, increases significantly. The %ey problem is that the reservoir uncertainties only become evident after production begins. The technology challenges for the adaptive and flexible development systems are. The existing suite of development systems generally fall into two categories. dry tree units li%e TC@, spar and wet tree concepts comprising a floater (e.g. !@'3) supporting subsea wells. The %ey problems with dry tree units related to subsurface uncertainties are. o insufficient space for additional wells" reservoir compartmentaliFation would re#uire different well targets to the wells already drilled" also higher hydrocarbon volumes would re#uire additional wells" insufficient processing capacity for additional volumes" insufficient export capacity for additional volumes" insufficient reservoir siFe for existing technologies.

o o o

A subsea development provides more flexibility in managing a compartmentaliFed reservoir by improved targeting of wells" however, different problems arise which affect pro&ect economics. an additional subsea well is more expensive to drill because it re#uires mobiliFing a deepwater drilling unit (<31=) with a high day2rate plus mob2demob costs. Ae would also need a flowline to the nearest manifold and hence would re#uire to mobiliFe a pipelaying vessel.

55

$<D priorities5 time frame an! f'n!in-

;n order to address the challenges and close the technology gaps identified in 'ection 4 a list of /01 needs has been developed by TTA-. The main priority areas for TTA- where both p'blic an! in!'stry f'n!in- is needed are. Arctic Systems. The /01 priority areas include. (i) ice and iceberg data, (ii) ice loading on offshore platforms, (iii) development of arctic floaters. Deep"ater Systems. (i) !loaters for harsh environments (ii) $iser systems for dry tree units in ultradeep water (iii) *nstallation methods for ultradeep water which avoid expensive, heavy crane vessels S'bsea Systems. (i) 1evelop systems compatible with slim and slender technology, (ii) develop large bore systems for gas developments, (iii) intervention in ultra2deep water and (iv) lower cost umbilicals for long offset and deep water, (v) enable power from shore. A more extended list of technology areas contributing to the ob&ectives of TTA- is provided below. !or completeness, the list below includes the high priority areas given above. The development priorities for arctic !evelopment systems are. *ce an! iceber- !ata7 1evelop reliable databases on ice characteristics and on iceberg movements, where relevant, for use in the design and operation of arctic development systems for the arctic regions of interest (notably ,arents 'ea, Gara 'ea and 'ea of 3%hors% offshore 'a%halin) *ce loa!in- on offshore platforms an! pipelines7 (a) 1evelop and validate models for estimating ice loading on offshore platforms, including effect of structural shape on brea%ing of the ice and ice loading in multi2leg platforms. (b) Address the specific problem of icing from snow and sea spray of structures, both from a load perspective and how to limit it. (c) Also address the specific problem of ice2induced vibration of arctic structures. (d) 1esign for combination of environmental loads including ice, e.g. wave and ice. 1redging depth of pipelines and protection of subsea systems and structures to avoid ice gouging caused by ice %eels. 'train based design for pipelines and design against brittle fracture and running fracture. ?interisation of Facilities7 1evelop improved layout and design of facilities to cope with ice, snow and low temperatures. Address and resolve conflicting re#uirements related to need for closed compartments so as to maintain wor%able temperatures in wor% areas, while maintaining operational flexibility and sufficient air change so as to limit ris% from ignited hydrocarbon releases (e.g. explosions). Arctic floaters7 1evelop floating systems capable of drilling and production in an arctic environment and remaining permanently on station. 1evelop further floating systems with disconnect capability, thereby enabling disconnection and sailaway of the floater in an emergency, li%e approach of an iceberg. This solution would normally be combined with an iceberg (and ice) management system.

5(

S'bsea sol'tions7 Adapt subsea solutions for operation in an arctic environment. $onsiderations include. drilling of the subsea wells under ice conditions, well intervention, protection of subsea systems from ice gouging, transport of well fluids from wellhead to host. Arctic 0ffloa!in- Systems7 1evelop systems for offloading oil to tan%er from an offshore storage unit (e.g. !@'3) operating in an arctic environment. Address weathervaning, ice management, ice classification re#uirements.

The specific development priorities for harsh environment floaters are. /esolve hull and riser interaction, both for semi submersibles and !@'3s. @olyester mooring lines to be #ualified for 7$' to reduce the weight and loads in fairlead. !loaters with li#uefaction plant (C7+ plant or similar) to enable transportation of gas to remote mar%ets. The priorities for development of the !ry tree floater concepts are. 'emis?barges with dry trees. 5. 3verall platform siFing 0 riser system tensioning. $onceptual development has been presented by different designers. A higher level of maturity will re#uire more extensive analysis and model testing to bring the design up to 8pro&ect ready9 status (. =on- stro@e riser tensioners to expand water depth capability of !ry tree 'nits. 'imilar to the function of exploration drilling riser tensioners. $oncepts need to be matured to 8production ready9 status, including #ualification testing. Alternatively ma%e use of elastic properties of risers and material selection to accommodate larger stro%e. At current level of maturity, the 'emi? barge solutions are li%ely to be screened out in a specific concept screening phase, due to technology ris%. 1evelopment of the solutions will both increase the oil company 8tool box9 and provide mar%et opportunities for the contractors. @ublic?industry funding will help in bringing 7orwegian industry to the mar%et in front of the competition. The priority areas for development of 'ltra!eep"ater riser systems are. @rogram to confirm the long2term integrity of wet insulation at water depths of 4* m. >xpand the envelope for multifunctional (production, gas lift and active heating) riser systems li%e the ;ntegrated @roduction ,undle?=mbilical (;@,?;@=). @ower from the shore. To reduce $3( emmisions resulting from offshore @ower generation it is re#uired or encouraged to get power from the shore via an electric cable. !or floaters in a harsh environment an enabler for this is to design an electric cable capable of dynamic service through the water column. ;ncreased use of lightweight materials. Jualify composite risers for top tensioned risers (TT/).

54

Jualify use of threaded and mechanical connectors to replace welding of &oints. <echanical connectors are used for TT/s but not for 'teel $atenary /isers ('$/s) and single hybrid riser systems. Aith threaded and mechanical connectors cheaper rigs than the lay barges can be used to install the risers. ;mprove our E;E models and suppression devices. 1evelop better monitoring tools and improve their reliability.

!or the s'bsea pro!'ction systems, the following :igh @riority Areas with <aximum ;mpact for 7$' and >xports have been identified Slim an! Slen!er Technolo-y7 ,arrier systems and e#uipment, open water systems, and drilling systems meeting the new re#uirements from slim, slender and mono bore well construction (low cost wells). These technologies are emerging and the development is aggressively driven by both 7orwegian and foreign operators. Applications are foreseen in both 7$' and all ma&or geographical areas. ;mpact. 7$' and >xports. =ar-e bore systems for -as !evelopments7 Carge bore -9 swaged completions have become state of the art for high rate gas producers. The next step is envisaged to be true I2 *?69 completions. Carge bore wells 2 I*?69 production tubing and a -9 tree 2 together with slim hole wells are hard to accommodate. The main challenge by this is drilling systems, ,3@, <arine /iser?Aor%over /iser?$ompletion /iser systems. This re#uires large bore risers meaning heavy ,3@ and a wellhead with reduced load capacity. The prime driver for this technology is to reduce the number of wells and lower field development costs. ;mpact. 7$' and >xports. *nstallation an! *ntervention ) ,etho!s < Tools in Deep an! ltra)Deep ?ater7 $ost effective methods and tools must be developed to reduce costs. The initiatives should address trees, manifold and templates, &umpers and flowlines, controls as well as the subsea processing related systems to identify commonality and interactions to enable further savings. 'uch improved methods and tools will also have the potential for savings in moderate water depths. ,y reducing siFe, weight and complexity more rigs and vessels are enabled to perform the activities. 'uch development is a continuous process and re#uires close cooperation and interaction between operators, vessel contractors and e#uipment suppliers. 1rivers and enablers with regard to riser less intervention are further discussed under TTA4. ;mpact. 7$' and >xports. Aero Harmf'l Dischar-e of 9ontrol Fl'i!s to Sea7 Activities under this heading should address safer control fluids through to Fero discharge to sea. The latter is a main driver for the 8all electrical9 control system particularly in ultra2deep water and?or long offsets for which closed loop control systems are not viable or economic. $losed loop hybrid systems may also become a step in the development. Cea% detection methods and e#uipment should also be pursued. The drive towards safe and Fero harmful discharge is being pushed by legislation and industry policies worldwide. ;mpact. 7$' and >xports. (o"er from the shore. To reduce $3( emissions resulting from offshore @ower +eneration it is re#uired or encouraged to get power from the shore via an electric cable. This power can be either an A$ power transmission option or a 1$ option. !or floaters in a harsh environment it is necessary to develop an electric cable, capable of 54

dynamic service through the water column. This may re#uire #ualification testing as well as analytical wor%. *nstallability an! Economics of mbilicals for =on- 0ffset an! Deep ?ater7 As subsea production control systems gradually turn from hydraulic to electrical power transmission for sub sea valve operations, the content of tubing in the umbilical may be significantly reduced and thus still facilitate installation of long umbilicals as a single unit without splices, using current capability and capacity in terms of installation vessels. The balance between increasing lengths and reductions in diameter should be investigated to determine envelope of installation feasibility and economy of material consumption, both for deep and shallow waters. 1eep water umbilicals re#uire investigation of feasibility of the vertical, dynamic section w.r.t. stress and fatigue of $u elements. The economical and practical envelopes of typical future umbilical designs, assuming electrical power transmission as per the description above, should be determined to identify any feasibility issues related to technology or economy. ;mpact. 7$' and >xports. !or the ltra)!eep"ater installation, the following priorities are identified. 7ew and cost effective installation methods by 2 use of small ? inexpensive vessels 2 submerged transport 0 installation 2 drop2installation techni#ues 2 new line materials and winching techni#ues 2 advanced subsea positioning systems >xperiences from other geographical deepwater areas may be an important source for this development. $eliable "eather "in!o" < vessel response forecasts as input to decision support tools applied during the installation operation. /eliable weather forecasts are important in order to decide start?stop of activities due to change in weather conditions. ;n addition to wave and wind special considerations should be put on ocean current estimation ? forecasting. ;n deepwater the installation operations are more time consuming and re#uire longer weather windows than used to in moderate water depths. ;n combination with heavy module weight, it is important to have access to reliable weather forecast and reliable weather windows adapted to the installation operation in order to perform in a safe and cost2effective mode. Technology for integration of vessel response data and reliable weather forecast data is of high importance in order to improve the reliability of the planning of installation activities and maintain the overall safety level during the operations. 3e" li-ht"ei-ht str'ct'res7 1evelop new lightweight structures in order to save transportation and installation costs. 5*

The following @riority Areas with <aximum ;mpact for 7$' and >xports have been identified for the *nspection5 ,aintenance an! $epair technologies. 5. ;n order for /3E?A=E concept to develop into a field proven solution the following technology needs have been identified. ,etter and more reliable navigation systems for A=Es >nhanced performance of battery systems for A=Es. ;ncreased communication bandwidth with A=Es Allowing real time video and high resolution picture transmission <ove from inspection A=Es to intervention A=Es e.g. turning and operating valves 1evelop :ybrid A=E?/3E 'ystems 2 this could be a vehicle which swims over to the template as a A=E, doc%s in at a doc%ing station and wor%s as a /3E. 3nce the &ob is complete the /3E disconnect and returns to the mother installation as an A=E (. !urther developments in riser integrity surveillance methods, and repair techni#ues will be needed. 4. !urther developments in flowlines integrity surveillance methods, and repair techni#ues will be needed. This can be 8intelligent9 flowlines or pipelines that can tell when they are exposed to buc%ling and free span. The following focus areas have been identified for the fle2ible an! a!aptive sol'tions. 'ome areas of focus aimed at addressing and closing the technology gaps are presented below. o >xtend use of early production systems by developing solution for associated gas, etc. o Adaptive and flexible subsea systems. All electrical subsea solution (re#uiring no hydraulic controls), subsea plug2and2play. o 1evelop compact and lightweight topsides, so as to enable expansion of topside capacity and de2debottlenec%ing using existing host. o 1evelop low cost tender assisted drilling capability for use in deepwater.

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$oa!map for the f't're

The state of the art with respect to developments in deepwater?harsh environment of the 7orwegian industry can be represented by the Gristin field, with a harsh environment floater and :igh @ressure2:igh Temperature (:@:T) wells. 'imilarly the Kstate2of2the2artB with respect to subsea2to2beach can be represented by 3rmen Cange and 'nohvit with a tie bac% distance around 54 %m. Anticipating sufficient /01 funding and a positive response to the technological challenges, the /oadmap will build on these benchmar% pro&ects and may develop as described below. 7ew low cost installation metho!s for deepwater need to become available by ( 5 to provide more options and contain the 8overheating9 in the installation mar%et. A significant and sustained thrust is needed to develop solutions for the arctic" a particular motivation for this will be provided by the 'hto%man development, where the 7orwegian industry will play a significant role. The 'hto%man field development, which will be carried out in several phases over the period ( 5 2( ( , will provide both arctic and subsea production challenges and is li%ely to re#uire new generation of arctic floaters, capable of operating in a harsh and arctic environment. 3ther competing solutions may well include subsea2to2beach. ;t is anticipated that by ( 5* we will witness the application of new subsea production systems, resulting in higher recovery, enabled by new e#uipment and installed and operated more efficiently at lower cost through ;</ technology (notably /3E?A=E). ;n the longer term (( 5*2( ( ), the flexible and adaptable solutions will provide the next generation of surface and subsea systems which are better able to cope with subsurface

Roadmap for the Future - TTA 7

.nerg' for the future

New Arctic solutions

Kristin

Ormen Lange

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uncertainties and still overcome the challenges provided by deepwater, harsh environment and arctic conditions.

Environmental 9onsi!erations

>nvironmental considerations form an integral part of the technology priority areas proposed under this TTA, thereby promoting technologies which are consistent with the ob&ectives of TTA5 and achieving a more sustainable development. Lero harmful discharge to the sea is %ey to development of the arctic and does place re#uirements both on the design of the floatin- facilities and the s'bsea eB'ipment. Activities under this heading include safer control fluids through to Fero discharge to sea. The latter is a main driver for the 8all electrical9 control system. The use of smaller vessels for deepwater installations, not only reduces costs but is a more sustainable proposition re#uiring less energy and ultimately better utilisation of existing fleet of installation vessels ) hence more sustainable. 1evelopment of slim an! slen!er "ell technolo-y is good for the environment because it implies smaller holes, smaller footprint. =se of lar-e bore gas developments (I*?62inch) reduces costs and it is also good for the environment because it results in a smaller number of wells to produce a given reservoir. 'ome other priority areas, e.g. the harsh environment floater, do not have direct environmental benefits or shortcomings" it is an enabler and needs to be developed following the re#uirements of Fero harmful discharge to the environment.

=in@ to other TTAs

The proposed priority areas presented in this report, in addition to contributing towards the vision of TTA- they contribute in certain cases towards the vision of other TTAs. Ci%ewise developments proposed in other TTAs contribute towards the vision of TTA-. The following specific are highlighted. TTA 1 > Environmental technolo-y for the f't're. Lero harmful discharge to the sea is %ey to development of the arctic and does place re#uirements both on the design of the floating facilities and to the subsea e#uipment. TTA3 ) Enhance! recovery 1irect well access does generally allow for easier intervention and increased recovery. The development of dry wellhead concepts for deep and ultradeep water, enables direct well access and hence contributes to increased recovery. The development of high speed communication with subsea wells also contributes to increased recovery. TTA # ) 9ost effective !rillin- an! intervention 1rilling and intervention has a close interface with the development of the subsea e#uipment, specifically the slim well technology and the large bore gas wells. 56

TTA6 > S'bsea processin- an! Transport The development of subsea tree systems, manifold systems, &umpers and umblicals are providing components for enabling subsea processing which is the %ey ob&ective of TTA6.

$ecommen!ation

The recommendations of the 1eepwater and 'ubsea @roduction technology target area is to support development that will increase the production and enhance the competitiveness of the 7orwegian industry. Technology development that will be developed by specific pro&ects will not need support from public funding. The main priority areas for TTA- where both p'blic an! in!'stry f'n!in- is needed are. Arctic Systems. The /01 priority areas include. (i) ice and iceberg data, (ii) ice loading on offshore platforms, (iii) development of arctic floaters. Deep"ater Systems. (i) !loaters for harsh environments (ii) $iser systems for dry tree units in ultradeep water (iii) *nstallation methods for ultradeep water which avoid expensive, heavy crane vessels S'bsea Systems. (i) 1evelop systems compatible with slim and slender technology, (ii) develop large bore (I*?62inch) systems for gas developments, (iii) intervention in ultra2 deep water and (iv) lower cost umbilicals for long offset and deep water, (v) enable power from shore.

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