TOMORROW. AIM Technologies Floating Platform Diversity The FLNG Revolution Fluid Catalytic Cracking

Transcription

1 T TOMORROW A Technip Technology Publication - Issue 2 - April 2013 AIM Technologies Floating Platform Diversity The FLNG Revolution Fluid Catalytic Cracking Tomorrow-Technip-April 2013

2 P. 6-7 Floating Platform Diversity Platform diversity: an overview P. 4-5 Asset Integrity Management Technologies An emerging focus area P Fluid Catalytic Cracking 30 th anniversary of our FCC alliance P. 8-9 The FLNG Revolution A game changer for the offshore industry Tomorrow Magazine A Technip Technology Publication Issue 2 April 2013 You can find the previous issue of Tomorrow at: Your comments are always welcome: publicrelations@technip.com Director of Publication: Christophe Bélorgeot Chief Editor: Caroline Aurelle Associate Editors - April 2013 issue: Brian A Roberts, Cindy Viktorin, Gilles Michel, Jean-François Duroch, Laurent Decoret, Marie-Christine Charrier, Philip Hagyard, Salim Benmedakhene, Stéphane His Photography: Cybernétix, Technip image library, Technip in North America Design and production: Lydia Marchetti The Group Communications Department would like to thank everyone who contributed to this issue. Technip - 89 avenue de la Grande Armée Paris - France This document is printed on Heaven 42 This document is the property of Technip. Any modification, reproduction or commercial use of this document is prohibited.

3 For me technology will always be a passion and I am therefore delighted to have the opportunity to welcome you to the second edition of Tomorrow, Technip s technology magazine. I started my career in the energy industry as a process engineer and enjoyed immensely the challenge of designing safe and efficient production systems. In those days, technology acted as a clear differentiator between companies, and it is just the same, if not more important, today. As my career progressed I became more involved in project delivery and regional management, but my interest in technology has never dwindled. As newly appointed Senior Vice President for the Offshore activity of Technip, I have multiple roles to cover; among which project delivery (on time, on budget and to high QHSE standards), and promotion of new technologies through our R&D initiatives. EDITORIAL We foresee oil & gas developments in deeper water and harsher environments as illustrated by our leadership in FLNG. Our investment in new technologies will help Technip and its clients get there safely and in an environmentally responsible manner. Within Technip, Offshore covers the engineering, procurement, construction and installation, hook-up and commissioning of fixed and floating platforms. In this area, within the past few years, there have been some truly transformational technologies that have changed the way in which our industry is able to develop new fields. One example is Floating LNG production (FLNG) that enables stranded gas to be brought to market. Technip is well positioned in FLNG, being involved in the first two projects to be sanctioned worldwide (Shell Prelude and Petronas LNG1) but needs to maintain its leadership, by continuing to invest in new and innovative solutions through its R&D efforts. An article on FLNG in this issue covers the development of this exciting technology within Technip. While some technological advances are transformational, some are incremental and occur over an extended period of time. A good example of a technology that has developed over time is the Spar floating platform. This platform can now accommodate drilling, production from dry or wet trees, and product storage with options designed for Arctic conditions. Spars are only one type of floating platform that Technip can deliver to its customers, and an article, in this issue, is dedicated to Technip s diversity of floating production facilities. As we look to the future we foresee oil & gas developments in deeper water and harsher environments such as the Arctic. Our investment in new technologies through R&D will help Technip and its clients to get there safely and in an environmentally responsible manner. Regardless of your interests in technology, I do hope you enjoy reading this issue of Tomorrow. Arturo Grimaldi Senior Vice President Offshore Tomorrow-Technip-April 2013

4 Technip has recently established a new business line within the Subsea segment, referred to as Asset Integrity Management (AIM) Services. Asset Integrity Management is an emerging focus area for the subsea industry which incorporates technology development for monitoring products, as well as integrated service models for harvesting, processing and reporting of condition data relating to subsea assets. Technip AIM Services is well placed to contribute to the definition of this exciting new field of activity in conjunction with our Asset Integrity Management Technologies clients and other suppliers and contractors, all of whom are actively engaged understanding and defining their requirements. This article presents two products used for the integrity monitoring of subsea risers. The first is known as a Vibrating Wire Gauge (VWG) for the monitoring of steel catenery hybrid risers and riser towers. The second product uses the Acoustic Emission technology of AETech to monitor the integrity of tensile armour wires in flexible pipes. Vibrating wire gauges (VWG) Vibrating Wire Gauges for Riser Load Monitoring The operating principle of VWG relies on the guitar string principle whereby the natural frequency of a fixed length of wire changes as the wire is stretched or relaxed. An electrical coil fixed to the centre of the wire measures the natural frequency of the wire, which changes as the wire, and parent structure are subjected to micro-displacements. The frequency signal can then be transmitted over long cables and displayed by a portable readout or monitored by a data acquisition system. This type of measurement is recognized for its long-term accuracy and its stability, especially when dealing with temperature variation, which makes it very suitable for application in subsea environments. The linearity of the response following numerous iterations with different sensors over short and long time periods confirms the repeatability of the results and behaviour.

5 4-5 An example of riser integrity monitoring by acoustic emission Riser Integrity Monitoring by Acoustic Emission This section outlines the implementation of Acoustic Emission technology for continuous monitoring of tensile armour rupture in flexible risers. For further information, please visit or contact This technology is based on the use of non-intrusive clamps installed on in-service risers or new installations. The fundamental principle of Acoustic Emission relies on the fact that any object or structure has an acoustic signature which is unique. Any changes to the state of that structure modifies its signature, as do sudden or transient changes to the state of the structure or object. The resulting monitoring solution consists of a real-time armour wire detection evaluation by an expert algorithm, which sends an alarm message to the control room of the platform. The information can be immediately assessed by AIM experts to confirm if it is indeed representative of a wire rupture, or some other form of breakage or change of state. The current Acoustic Emission technology developments have achieved the technology readiness level 6 (TRL 6), according to Technip Group Operating Principles and Standards which is equivalent to offshore prototype level. They have been used in qualification testing of flexible pipes, most notably the final qualification of Carbon Fibre Armour (CFA) flexible pipes in Le Trait (France) last year. They are now deemed qualified for implementation in flexible pipes during service. Tomorrow-Technip-April 2013

6 Several years ago, Technip would have been viewed by most industry observers as a company whose offshore floating platform expertise was limited to Spars and large spread-moored FPSOs for West Africa. Much has changed over the last ten years to the extent that Technip can now offer its clients all major types of floating platforms including Spars, TLPs, semi-submersible platforms, FPSOs and FLNGs: a diversified portfolio that clearly cannot be understated. Floating Platform Diversity For further information, please visit or contact baroberts@technip.com Technip s leadership in Spars A History of Platform Diversity Technip s track record in floating production platforms started in the mid-80s with the basic engineering for Total s Weizhou FPSO offshore China. This vessel, the world s first FPSO, had a production rate of only 20,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) which is considered small by today s standards. Within the next ten years, Technip was to embark on a series of major floating production projects offshore West Africa starting with Elf s Nkossa project, where LPG is fractionated, stored and offloaded with a topside weight of 30,000 tons and followed by Elf s Girassol FPSO (32,000t), Total s Dalia FPSO (24,800t) and Akpo with the world s largest FPSO topsides (37,000t) that has a production rate of 250,000 bopd, over 12 times that of the Weizhou FPSO. The latest in this series of projects include the P-58 and P-62 FPSOs for Petrobras offshore Brazil and the Ichtys FPSO for Inpex offshore Western Australia, awarded in During the same time, Technip embarked on a series of projects that would deliver 14 out of the world s 17 Spar platforms. This track record started with Classic Spars, which were followed by an evolving design to include Truss Spars, Cell Spars and with the most recent Spar (Statoil s Aasta Hansteen) incorporating product storage. While the majority of Spar platforms to date have been installed in the US Gulf of Mexico and fabricated at Technip s yard in Pori Finland, the Spar platform footprint has been expanded over time to cover a Malaysian application (Murphy s Kikeh Spar with Malaysian fabrication) and a harsh environment North Sea application (Statoil s Aasta Hansteen Spar with Korean fabrication), which will be the world s first Spar to be installed within the Arctic Circle. In parallel with these world record breaking FPSO and Spar projects, Technip has been busy developing the capability to deliver other floating production concepts.

7 6-7 Since 2003, Technip embarked on a series of three major production semi-submersible platform projects for Petrobras (P-52, P-51 & P-56), each with topside weights in excess of 30,000 tons. Technip s workscope included topsides design and the mating of the topsides onto the semi-submersible hull by the floatover method. The last semi-submersible of this series, P-56, went into production in In the same year, Technip received approval in principle from classification society ABS for its own semi-submersible hull design. The Heave and Vortex-induced motion Suppressed semi (HVS) has a novel hull design that dampens motions and reduces fatigue on connected riser systems. The design has been proven by model testing and is being further evaluated for its ability to support dry trees. By the end of 2012, the HVS was being considered for a specific Gulf of Mexico application through a client funded study. Over the last couple of years, Technip has also developed the capability to design and model test Tension Leg Platforms (TLPs) in Malaysia. Several TLP model test programs have already been executed at local test basins. By creating a joint hull design company TMH (between Technip and MMHE), the Group now has the capacity to perform conceptual and detailed design of a TLP. TMH has completed the FEED for Shell s Malikai TLP and is continuing with the EPC execution of this ground-breaking project (the first TLP offshore Malaysia). However, all these major projects have been eclipsed, at least in scale, by recent Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) platforms. Technip is in the unique position of being involved in the world s first two FLNG projects, Shell s mighty Prelude platform and Petronas LNG1 platform. Both these platforms dwarf Akpo, one of the world s largest FPSO topside facility, and when completed the Shell Prelude FLNG vessel will become the largest floating offshore facility in the world, with a length of 488 meters. With the increasing scale of these offshore developments it has become necessary for Technip to be able to execute major projects by sharing the workload between multiple operating centers. To do so, Technip utilizes a suite of common project standards and engineering tools. It has also become essential to be able to transfer technology to other operating centers to meet national content requirements as well as resource sharing. To achieve this, Technip has developed two in-house software based design systems Integrated Platform for Analysis & Design (IPAD) and Integrated Riser Analysis & Design (IRAD). IPAD enables a trained user in any of Technip s operating centers to perform designs for Spar, Semi and TLP platforms (up to scantling level for Class approval) and is currently being developed to include shipshaped hulls. IRAD enables to perform riser designs associated with an IPAD floating platform design. These tools, together with the transfer of key personnel, are enabling Technip to execute floating production platform designs within operating near centers local to our client s field developments. This broadening of Technip s floating production portfolio, and its ability to execute sophisticated projects means that Technip is able to review and recommend offshore field development options for any type of floating platform solution based on a global delivery capability and experience. Successes in Brazil Tomorrow-Technip-April 2013

8 For the offshore oil and gas industry, the Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) concept has become a game-changer, enabling operators to produce remote stranded gas accumulations in a cost effective manner. The sheer scale of these new units, with twice the topsides equipment of the largest FPSO, stretches the imagination of many people, dwarfing aircraft carriers and are set to be the largest floating structures The FLNG Revolution on the planet. The fact that Technip is involved in the first two FLNG projects to be sanctioned is testament to its track-record in large FPSOs, LNG plants, subsea gas gathering systems and LNG transfer technologies. The size of these FLNG projects has also contributed to a record backlog for Technip s Offshore business and is perfectly suited to a large delivery organization that is able to execute complex projects in multiple operating centers. Shell s FLNG Prelude project The FLNG story within Technip started as long ago as the 1980 s when visionaries within the company foresaw that one day the LNG process would move offshore onto floating facilities, just as oil and gas production had done the previous decade. Just as product oil is exported from Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) units through a hose system, an analogous arrangement was envisaged for LNG, and Technip started to develop a cryogenic flexible hose product. In 2007, the Mark 1 hose underwent full scale testing and was subsequently certified fit for service by DNV. This product effectively helped close one of the missing links for FLNG of how to safely transfer the cryogenic liquid product from an LNG production vessel at sea to an export LNG carrier. FLNG really gained traction in early 2008 when Technip took the bold move to sponsor a large internal study to investigate in detail how the onshore LNG process could be modified and transferred offshore. The study considered how the plant could be made more compact, modularized, marinized and how specific technical concerns, such as vessel motions, could be overcome. The study was based on a nitrogen cooling cycle using spiral wound cryogenic heat exchangers from Air Products, with whom Technip had established a strong relationship. Technip already had a track record of designing sophisticated processes on floating platforms ever since the mid 90 s with the Nkossa project offshore Congo, where LPG is fractionated, stored and offloaded. FLNG was a further extension with an increased degree of complexity.

9 8-9 In 2008, Shell issued market enquiries for FLNG design and construction services to partnerships of major engineering contractors with shipyards equipped with module fabrication facilities. There is little doubt that the maturity of Technip s FLNG design, achieved through this internal study, coupled with our capability to execute large offshore projects, and the credentials of our partner Samsung Heavy Industries, persuaded Shell to sign the first agreements with us in July The subsequent contract awards are well documented, but it was the strength of the relationship with Technip and Samsung that enabled Shell to develop the FLNG concept that would ultimately result in Prelude, the world s first FLNG project, which was sanctioned in It is anticipated that Prelude will be the first of several Shell FLNG units in the future through the master agreement with the Technip/Samsung Heavy Industries Consortium. During 2012, the world s second FLNG was sanctioned by Petronas, based on the FEED developed by Technip using Air Products technology. While the Prelude topsides are primarily engineered in Paris (France), the Petronas FLNG engineering and project management directorate is led from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) with some support from Paris. This ability to execute major projects in multiple centres is one of Technip s great strengths, enabling it to cope with the demand for several complex developments concurrently. On these first two projects, LNG is transferred from the FLNG vessel to the LNG carrier using articulated arms adapted for marine use. The carrier is moored side-by-side with the FLNG vessel, using the technology traditionally used for LNG transfer at onshore terminals where the carrier is able to berth alongside a quay. However, as future FLNG vessels are located in harsher environments, berth availability, or the fraction of time when side-byside offloading can be done safely, will be reduced. For this reason, we can anticipate that Technip s high amplitude sea state offloading system based on cryogenic flexible pipe will be eventually adopted. In 2013, Technip expects to finish the qualification of an immersible flexible LNG pipe that will allow tandem offloading (stern-to-bow), as is the norm for FPSO oil product transfers. Perhaps the FLNG story best illustrates how new markets are captured. Vision, technological diversity and management support are Technip sources of differentiation. Technip: a leader in FLNG Discover a video of the FLNG vessel For further information, please visit or contact phagyard@technip.com Tomorrow-Technip-April 2013

10 Refiners looking to improve operating performance, profitability and on-stream reliability over a wide range of feedstocks continue to turn to the most successful technology alliance in the history of Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) for assistance. Technip is a member of this alliance, through its 2012 acquisition of Stone & Webster process technologies. FCC Alliance Marks 30 th Anniversary The Story of a New Fluid Catalytic Cracking Technology In the 1980 s Total Petroleum, Stone & Webster, and IFP (now IFPEN) emerged as world leaders in FCC with the joint development of a unique, two-stage regeneration process for producing higher valued products from crude oil. This development occurred in response to a spike in crude oil prices, which generated interest in improving bottom of the barrel economics. The story of how the three companies joined forces has many twists and turns and many contributors. It begins with Total s North American operations, a group focused on improving the profitability of their refinery operations in Arkansas City, Kansas (US). Initial improvement concepts were directed to an existing FCC unit in the refinery. A team of four Total Petroleum technologists (Robert Dean, Jean-Louis Mauleon, Warren Letzsch and Robert Pfeiffer) developed a prototype design that was boldly implemented in this industrial unit in The design included a first-of-itskind feed injection system and a novel two-stage regeneration system with cold wall refractory design to simplify construction. Other innovative approaches were applied to the grassroots resid FCC design at Total s refinery in Ardmore, Oklahoma a year later. Stone & Webster was the engineering contractor for both locations, and later purchased patent rights from Total to license the technology worldwide. About the same time and using similar concepts, IFPEN and Total developed a resid FCC technology that included a two-stage regeneration design with one reactor and two regenerators. This unique, two-stage regeneration concept, referred to as R2R and now offered by two licensors, started getting the attention of refiners around the world. Stone & Webster and IFPEN separately licensed grassroots units for companies such as BP, Shell, Sinopec and Idemitsu while also revamping existing non-resid FCC designs utilizing elements of the technology. The success of the process meant the cat was out of the bag as additional units were licensed by both companies through the early 1990 s. At that time, they agreed to join forces with Total to further develop and market the technology as alliance partners. In 1993, an FCC alliance agreement was signed by this diverse, but complimentary, group of companies: Total, the technology developer and operator, focusing on safety, ease of operation, reliability and process economics IFP, a firm with strong technology research and development capabilities utilizing catalyst testing, pilot plants, and cold flow modeling Stone & Webster, a licensing and engineering firm focused on providing safe, reliable and cost-effective plant designs and project execution. Axens, an IFPEN subsidiary formed in 2001, joined the alliance to support basic engineering and licensing activities. First RFCC unit for BP in Kwinana, Australia For further information, please visit or contact cviktorin@technip.com

11 10-11 A 30-Year Business Relationship While 20 years have passed since the contractual agreement was signed, the alliance partners are celebrating their 30-year business relationship that began in Kansas. Today that relationship is highlighted by the achievement of being selected for more grassroots resid FCC units than any other licensor. During three decades, the alliance has provided licenses for 55 grassroots FCC units totaling more than two million barrels per day of feedstock capacity. In addition, it has upgraded existing FCC units in more than 220 revamp projects including units originally designed by every major licensor of FCC designs. WHAT IS FLUID CATALYTIC CRACKING? Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) is a refining technology that enhances the production of gasoline. Since it first emerged during World War II, FCC has evolved into a well-established conversion technology that enables refiners to optimize the refined product slate and maximize profitability from a barrel of crude. In today s modern refinery, the FCC unit processes predominantly heavier feedstock such as atmospheric residue to produce gasoline, and propylene, a feedstock for petrochemical plants. FCC alliance team leaders The alliance is unique in that the four parties co-own the technology. We are a partnership of diverse cultures, and our success stems from mutual trust formed through a common goal to succeed. Of course, offering a world-class technology always helps! explained Gary Jackson, VP of Refining Technology for Technip Stone & Webster Process Technology. This alliance gathers strong R&D capabilities, basic design and detailed engineering expertise and industrial operation skills, a mixture suited to bring the best solutions quickly operational for the benefit of refinery and petrochemical company owners, said Jean-Paul Gouzard, Axens EVP of Process Licensing. Multiply the potential of the Total R&D program as part of the alliance with our experience gained as first adaptors and the result is key elements for the optimization of our FCC units, adds Jean-Marc Sohier, Total s VP Manufacturing, Methods & Performance. In recent years, the alliance s work has revolutionized the traditional fuels-based FCC process into petrochemical applications, as worldwide product demand shifts from gasoline to olefins including propylene. An example is the next-generation High Severity FCC (HS-FCC) technology developed by JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation, Saudi Aramco, and Saudi Arabia s King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. The developers selected the FCC alliance to promote and license HS-FCC, which features a down flow reaction system to maximize propylene selectivity and utilizes catalyst regeneration and fluidization/transfer technology expertise developed by Technip and Axens. During the process, heavy oil and catalyst are contacted in a down flow reactor at high temperature to crack the heavy oil. This breakthrough technology produces a higher yield of propylene and high-octane gasoline compared to a conventional FCC unit. The alliance will update its licensees on the latest technology developments via its 10th FCC Forum scheduled for this spring in San Francisco, California (US). The agenda includes topics such as profitability and mechanical reliability, industry changes stemming from shale oil and gas, and a glimpse of development efforts for the future. With San Francisco as the host city, the famous bridges in the Bay Area inspired an appropriate theme: Bridge to the Future. We are a partnership of diverse cultures, and our success stems from mutual trust formed through a common goal to succeed. Gary Jackson Tomorrow-Technip-April 2013

12 Safety starts with leaders Influence positive behaviours Inspire others to be safe Reduce the likelihood of accidents Practice HSE excellence Become good role models These are children of Technip employees in S t John s (Canada), learning their life lessons in the best place in the world. By combining a good attitude with the right equipment, they can enjoy playing hard and being safe at the same time. Just like their parents also know how to work hard and be safe. In this way they all get to go home to the people they love every day.