Technical Bulletin

JANUARY 2002

Four Years and still Going Strong

New technology made it possible
Statoil has successfully operated the FPSO “Navion Munin” since January 1998 on the Lufeng
field in the South China Sea. The five subsea booster pumps, supplied by Framo Engineering,
are still running perfectly at 330 meter water depth. During these four years, they have lifted,
millions of barrels of crude oil from the mudline to the FPSO.

5 Framo subsea booster pumps during testing in Framo’s indoor test dock

Framo subsea
booster pumps

HOST* Template with Framo has also sup-

Framo subsea booster pumps plied the swivel
All intervention from the FPSO stack system in
* by Kongsberg Offshore as. itself by using the aft crane “Navion Munin”

“Statoil’s subsea engineer-
ing group has in the last
few months accepted sub-
sea multiphase pumps as
part of their toolbox for
new field develop-
ments.The subsea mud-
line booster pumps are
the heart of the Lufeng
development. Without the
booster pumps in opera-
tion, there would have
been no production from
the field.”*
John Willows
Project Leader
Flowlines and Subsea
Technology
* Statement made after
1 year of successful
operation
Operating experience Pump Design Data
All five booster pumps were installed during the
Flow rate : 130 m3/hr
first week of 1998. The first subsea booster pump
was started up January 4, 1998. Two of the pumps (20.000 bbl/d)
have been stopped for periods due to reservoir Diff. pressure : 35 bar (500 psi)
conditions, whilst the 3 other have been in continuous Pump speed : 3.000 rpm
operation. The five pumps have accumulated more
than 16 years of failure free operation time. Pressure rating : 3.000 psi
Motor rating : 400 kW
Scope of Supply
Framo has supplied the total integrated pump system
from step-down frequency converters,
swivel system, power umbilical,
umbilical termination head,
jumpers and booster pumps. The
total system was integration tested
and proven out in Framo indoor
subsea test facility.
Subsea Mudline Pumps
The subsea booster pumps are designed to provide
a safe, reliable and economic solution for boosting Service / Intervention
the pressure of the production from each individual The remote location of the Lufeng Field
well. The retrievable pump/driver insert is installed and the ability to remain in production
in a receiver barrel which is flanged directly to the during intervention, has dictated that
X-mas tree. The integral pump and oil filled motor
the FPSO is fitted with its own inervention
design, combined with a barrier fluid for cooling
equipment. The booster pumps can be
and lubrication, gives a very low weight and
retrieved and replaced in one shift from
compact design.
the FPSO itself using a motion-
compensated aft crane and a convential
Each pump has its own dedicated electrical power
guide wire arrangement.
and barrier fluid supply through a combined six
line power and barrier fluid umbilical. It is driven
by a frequency controlled 400 kW motor, which
receives its power from the FPSO mounted power
generation system. The pump’s performance is
continually monitored from the pressure and tem-
perature of the barrier fluid system.

All intervention from the FPSO itself by

using the aft crane.

Reservoir Parameters
Gas Oil Ratio : 3 - 6 Sm3/m3
API Gravity@ 60o F : 31 deg
Water Cut Scenarios : 0% - 95%
Bubble point : 75 psi
Pour Point : 42 C
Oil Viscosity : 5.1cp @ 194 F
12cp @ 140 F
Wax content : Approx. 17%

Framo Engineering AS, P.O. Box 174 Sandsli, N-5862 BERGEN, NORWAY
Telephone + 47 55 92 88 00, Telefax + 47 55 92 89 00/10
e-mail: sales@framoeng.no, www.framoeng.no