Production optimization specialist Enpro Subsea has revealed details of how its unique subsea architecture was used for the first time by an operator in the Gulf of Mexico and was a contributing factor to the organization achieving first oil production in under 12 months – a record time for the client.

Enpro showcased its Enhanced Subsea Sampling & Injection (ESSI) and Flow Access Module (FAM) systems during Monday’s Standardization technical session at OTC 2017 in Houston, discussing how their equipment was instrumental to the tieback project’s success and provided added flexibility to the asset’s life of field. The ESSI FAM system is designed to use standard subsea systems to deliver faster, more cost effective and more flexible subsea systems.

The challenge from the operator was to tie back a new production well via a single spur into an existing subsea flowloop in the Mississippi Canyon. Enpro Subsea was invited to assist in the design of a fast track solution making use of its existing deepwater infrastructures and surplus inventory of standardized subsea hardware. For the project to remain competitive, the operator gave a challenging 12-month deadline for the campaign, from concept to first oil.

The unique nature of the well spud location, existing infrastructure and established facility operating procedures, created various hurdles for Enpro to consider when designing its system. The production chemistry and uneven seabed topography required a flow assurance strategy to be considered which successfully managed and mitigated the potential for hydrate formation within the single spur flowline.

The technical obstacles included the need to utilize existing components from different hardware manufacturers with differing hub connector designs. By enabling access to production processes at both ends of the 3.2km single line tieback, the operator was able to fit a range of enhanced recovery solutions at multiple locations, including, but not limited to:

• flow assurance chemical injection
• pressure balancing
• multiphase metering
• fluid intervention (scale squeeze)

Enpro Subsea business development manager for the Gulf of Mexico, Adam Hudson, said: “The ESSI and FAM systems allowed the operator to fast track the project using their existing stock hardware. With the addition of the patented FAM technology, Enpro provided the required subsea system functionality onto existing hardware, enabling the ‘life of field’ solutions to be installed directly onto existing hardware. Our solution enabled concurrent engineering, which in turn enabled first oil within 12 months”

“Looking beyond this campaign and to the future of the operator’s asset, another benefit is that our technology provides a retrievable platform which will allow a range of enhanced production solutions to be fitted at various locations throughout the life of field, including fluid intervention and sampling.

“We are extremely proud to have played an integral part in our client’s success and to have developed technologies that can be integrated into any vendor’s equipment making well intervention a safer and less expensive option throughout the life of field for new and mature assets.”