Following a successful ‘Call for Ideas’, the Oil & Gas Technology Centre is backing four subsea ‘plug and play’ projects to help unlock the 3.4 billion barrels of oil and gas in marginal fields, or ‘small pools’ on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS).
Plug and play is a concept from the computing and space industries, where equipment is designed to be connected, operated and reused more simply and efficiently. Adopting this concept in oil and gas could significantly reduce the cost of developing small pools.
Carlo Procaccini, Head of Technology at the Oil and Gas Authority said:
"Small pools represent a significant opportunity to maximize economic recovery (MER) from the UKCS and it’s great to see promising technology initiatives being taken forward. Technology deployment is key to redefining our sector by reducing the costs of development wells, designing optimized subsea infrastructure, or developing efficient standalone concepts to capitalize on the potential of small pools.”
We’re supporting Flexlife, and its partners Proserv, Infinity, DeepOcean and Axis, to develop a standardized tie-back bundle, with integrated pipeline and umbilical, and a subsea manifold that can be reused between field developments. A standardized bundle could simplify the design and manufacture of small pool field developments, bringing them online quicker and reducing costs.
We’re working with Glasgow Caledonian University, Edinburgh University and industry to transform how electrical power is delivered subsea. The smart, modular power network will increase reliability, reduce maintenance requirements, and provide improved flexibility for installation, operation and reuse.
We’re working with Marine Direct Consultants to certify the company’s RapidPipe system, which provides a robust, reusable mechanical connection system for rigid flowlines. With the ability to recover and reuse flowlines, the system will help lower manufacturing costs and reduce installation time.
We’re supporting a research project at Robert Gordon University and Alliance Manchester Business School, which will identify the barriers to adopting a plug and play approach to field developments. The project will examine various aspects, such as industrial culture and organizational behavior to help foster collaboration within the oil and gas industry.
Opening at the end of April 2018, next Small Pools Call for Ideas will focus on smart communications subsea. We will be looking for innovative technology ideas that can transform subsea developments, moving from hydraulics to an all-electric approach.
We’re looking for solutions to revolutionize subsea connectivity by developing a ‘subsea internet of things’, including sensors, software and wireless communications.
Chris Pearson, Small Pools Solution Centre Manager, said:
“The positive response to our first Small Pools Call for Ideas has generated four very innovative and diverse projects, delivering collaborative solutions with industry and academia. With upwards of $175bn of value in UKCS small pools, we are confident that we have identified ideas that can help transform the subsea development life-cycle approach and lower costs to unlock these fields.”
