Aker Solutions and FSubsea have agreed to create FASTSubsea to help operators increase oil recovery in a simpler and more environmentally friendly way
Multiphase subsea pumping technology has the potential to increase oil recovery rates by more than 20 per cent, but cost, space limitations and sometimes complex solutions mean multiphase pumps are installed in fewer than 30 of the world's more than 1,500 offshore fields.
With FASTSubsea, this is about to change. The new company combines Aker Solutions' high-performance multiphase hydraulic technology with FSubsea's game-changing Hydromag technology to create the world's first ‘topside-less’ multiphase boosting system.
The pump-module solution being developed by FASTSubsea can cut capex by half and enable subsea boosting at fields where there is no available topside space. Getting more out of existing wells reduces CO2-emissions per barrel.
“Creating FASTSubsea enables us to increase our speed to the market, reduce risk and reduce investment in multiphase test facilities,” said Alexander Fuglesang, CEO of FSubsea.
“Combining Aker Solutions' subsea systems expertise and multiphase test facility with FSubsea's Hydromag technology and lean mindset will benefit both companies,” said John Macleod, chief technology officer at Aker Solutions.
The agreement is subject to approval from the Norwegian competition authorities.
Boosting subsea oil recovery
The spread of subsea boosting technology has been hampered by cost and complexity. Conventional systems require a large amount of topside equipment on a platform or FPSO, including electric variable speed drives and supply systems for barrier fluid hydraulic oils.
The pump-module solution from FASTSubsea leverages FSubsea's Hydromag(TM) technology, which is a unique combination of the world's most powerful Permanent Magnetic coupling with an embedded hydrodynamic variable speed function, and Aker Solutions' MultiBooster(TM) semi-axial impeller design, which has proven best-in-class pressure generation capabilities.
According to Aker Solutions, this system has built-in variable speed function and is barrier-fluid-less, which reduces capex cost with up to 50 per cent. It unlocks opportunities with platforms that have no additional topside space but still can reap the economic benefits of increased recovery with the subsea boosting system.
