Saipem passes validation milestone for subsea pump technology

Saipem and Curtiss-Wright Corp have reached a significant point in developing subsea pumps for extending the lifecycle of subsea fields. They have completed the qualification process of an all-electric seabed barrier fluidless pump, which would be used to inject treated seawater into a reservoir for secondary oil recovery.

Conventional pumping systems have a barrier fluid which serves as coolant, lubricant and insulation.

The pumping unit developed by Curtiss-Wright and Saipem is cooled and lubricated by the seawater and its motor is protected by a canned casing suitable for ocean applications.

This enables these all-electric pumps to be deployed on deepwater oil and gas fields to extend production for decades and maintain the output through floating production systems.

It is efficient, cheap to operate and environmentally friendly, as the absence of the barrier fluid avoids the need for its constant replenishment and lowers the risk of seawater contamination.

This technology, borrowed from the nuclear power industry, allows the replacement of conventional hydraulic umbilicals with power and control cables, cutting installation costs and capital expenditure.

Saipem said this pump is the first seal-less, barrier fluidless subsea pump with such high power.

A 3-MW full-scale prototype has been manufactured and tested in water through an extensive programme ready for its first installation on a deepwater oil field.

This pump is certified for several Saipem-proprietary subsea treatment technologies, including Springs – a subsea desulphation technology owned by Saipem, TotalEnergies and Veolia.

Saipem said this certification programme is a fundamental goal to validate it to technology-readiness level 4 (TRL 4) as witnessed and endorsed by Petrobras and TotalEnergies.

“It marks the commencement of the relevant commercialisation on a global scale,” said Saipem, which confirmed its continuous investment in technical solutions for extending the life of subsea assets and “to make offshore operations increasingly safe, sustainable and convenient.”