Oil and gas Powerprofile
Location:
BP Shah Deniz Project, Caspian Sea
Customer requirement:
Well control contingency generator
Services:
Specification, design, and engineering to ATEX
requirements, delivery, testing, and setup.
Power Need
Technip is a service provider in the petroleum and petrochemical industry.
It manages major projects for oil and gas companies by offering engineering
and constructions services, as well as implementing its own proprietary
offshore equipment.
BP awarded Technip the contract for engineering and procurement on the SD
Alpha Platform in the Shah Deniz gas and condensate fi eld off the coast of
Azerbaijan, approximately 70km southeast of Baku at a water depth of 50m in
the northwest to 600m in the southeast. The Shah Deniz fi eld has an
approximate contract area of 860km². BP estimates recoverable fi eld reserves
to be 22.1 trillion cubic feet of gas and 750 million barrels of condensate.
There is also further potential at deeper horizons. 2005 production was
estimated at 7 billion cubic meters of gas.
To comply with safety regulations, BP needed equipment to kill well production
in the instance of a power disruption. Technip approached Finning Cat for a
"well control contingency generator," which supplies prime power to the
platform on an emergency basis if such a stoppage occurs.
Solutions
The challenge for Finning was to design,
build, and test a customised power
package solution before shipment and
installation in just 28 weeks.
This solution needed to meet ATEX
requirements for operating in a Zone II, T3
hazardous environment.
During installation, Finning enclosed
the electronic engine in a pressurised
container and transported it from a safe area. Other special considerations for
the generator included the need to cool the exhaust gas to below 200oC before
it was expelled from the unit.
Results
The solution has been fully operational since delivery in December 2005 and
provides 1500Kva of power.
The installation proved highly successful and Technip has since used this
project as an example of best practice on how to deliver a solution punctually
on a tight deadline.
Technip chose Finning for the project primarily because of the company’s
project-led experience in designing equipment to meet the petroleum
industry’s needs. The popularity and success of Caterpillar power solutions in
the Caspian region supports this.
Says Dave Perry, manager of oil and gas industry solutions for Finning:
"This project underlines our ability to fulfi l the needs of the petroleum industry.
We worked closely with Technip and BP to ensure that this package met their
specifi c project requirements."