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Petrobras aims for reliable subsea production with topside-free tech.

February 13, 2024

TLDR:

Petrobras, the Brazilian state-owned oil and gas company, has teamed up with US company Curtiss-Wright Corporation to develop a seal-less canned motor boosting system for subsea production in the Campos Basin. The technology cooperation agreement will see Curtiss-Wright design, manufacture, test, and provide operational support for the system, which will operate at a water depth of 1,500 meters and is expected to be operational by 2027. The system aims to enable reliable subsea production with fewer topside support systems, allowing for long tie-back production arrangements and reducing costs.

Key elements:

– Technology cooperation: Petrobras has partnered with Curtiss-Wright Corporation to develop a subsea boosting system for reliable subsea production in the Campos Basin. The system will operate at a water depth of 1,500 meters and is expected to be ready for operation in 2027.

– Design and manufacturing: Curtiss-Wright will be responsible for the design, manufacture, and testing of the subsea boosting system. The company will conduct water-based testing at its facility in Cheswick, Pennsylvania, and multiphase testing with hydrocarbons will be carried out in Brazil.

– All-electric subsea production: The seal-less canned motor boosting system aims to enable all-electric subsea production with fewer topside support systems. This technology is set to support Petrobras’ objective of long tie-back production arrangements and reducing the need for larger handling vessels.

Petrobras is targeting reliable subsea production in the Campos Basin with a topside-less technology developed in collaboration with Curtiss-Wright Corporation. The Brazilian state-owned oil and gas giant has signed a technology cooperation agreement with the US company to design, manufacture, test, and provide operational support for a subsea canned motor boosting system. The system is intended to enable reliable subsea production with fewer topside support systems, reducing costs and enabling long tie-back production arrangements. The technology will operate at a water depth of 1,500 meters in the Campos Basin offshore Brazil. The first subsea boosting system is expected to be ready for operation in 2027.

The partnership with Curtiss-Wright will allow Petrobras to apply its proven canned motor technology expertise to the adjacent market and bring value to the company. The system will enable an all-electric subsea production, providing flexibility to deploy these systems on lighter-weight, lower-cost vessels. The technology is scalable to 6 MW for multiphase applications, in line with Petrobras’ technology development roadmap. The agreement with Curtiss-Wright is part of Petrobras’ strategy to improve subsea operations and increase efficiency and reliability in subsea production.

By developing topside-less technology for reliable subsea production, Petrobras aims to reduce costs and improve the efficiency of its operations. This collaboration with Curtiss-Wright will enable Petrobras to access advanced technology and expertise in the development of subsea boosting systems. The technology cooperation agreement will ensure that Petrobras has access to the necessary design, manufacturing, and testing capabilities to develop a reliable and efficient subsea boosting system. With the first system expected to be ready for operation in 2027, Petrobras is taking steps towards achieving its goal of all-electric subsea production in the Campos Basin.