Engineering phase of water supply units 90% complete

21st November 2013

By: Carina Borralho

  

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Global participant in the water management industry Degrémont reported that the engineering phase of the engineering and procurement contract for four water supply units for two floating production-storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels was 90% complete. 

“The procurement phase for the water supply units is ongoing and the equipment delivery date for the first FPSO vessel is May 2014 and October 2014 for the second,” says Degrémont CE Rémi Lantier, adding that the water supply units are currently on schedule for delivery and between 30 and 40 people are directly employed by the project.

The vessels were ordered from offshore rig builder and repairer Keppel FELS Brazil by subsidiary of Brazilian multinational energy corporation Petrobras Tupi BV for offshore oil production in Brazil.

Degrémont was awarded the contract in July by Keppel, a subsidiary of drinking water, wastewater treatment and waste management company Suez Environment and its affiliates, engineering companies Lindel and Estaleiro Brasfels.

Of the four water supply units for the FPSO vessels, two are sulphate removal units and two are seawater desalination units.

Brazil’s Keppel shipyard in Angra dos Reis, in southern Rio De Janeiro, is constructing the modules and integrating the topside equipment of the FPSO vessels.

Degrémont notes that during the 2011 prequalification phase, the technical quality of the solutions proposed was validated. “During this phase, Degrémont demonstrated the adequacy of the solution for Petrobras' needs,” says Lantier, adding that, in November 2011, Degrémont was included in the official Petrobras supplier list. 


During 2012, Degrémont prepared an offer and, in early 2013, the proposed technical solution for the project was validated by Keppel and Petrobras for the execution phase of the P66 and P69 FPSO vessels.

“The four water supply units will be delivered during 2014 and integrated into the topside equipment of the two FPSO vessels. They will be available for operation when the FPSO vessels are put into service by Petrobras in 2015,” adds Lantier.

He notes that the contract is a step forward for Suez Environment and its subsidiary Degrémont, ensuring their presence in the upstream oil and gas market. “We have offers that are at various stages of development for the application of this technology. Our intention is to provide our potential customers with choice and flexibility,” says Lantier.
Degrémont’s experience in supplying water solutions for the upstream oil and gas industry is particularly focused on the treatment of sulphates, a key step in the treatment of water for use in oil production.

The company offers Petrobras solutions for the removal of sulphates using nanofiltration.

Each sulphate removal unit will treat 1 500 m³ of water an hour or 36 000 m³ of water a day. 
“The sulphate removal units treat seawater to make it suitable for water injection.  This helps avoid clogging in the porous rock reservoirs and ensures enhanced oil recovery. The reverse osmosis units treat seawater to produce fresh water, allowing removal of salt from crude oil,” notes Lantier.

The company highlights that, following the discovery of ultradeep reservoirs, 300 km from Brazil’s coast, the country will become the sixth-largest oil producer by 2020. “With this contract, Degrémont proves its capability to support Petrobras in meeting its requirements for effective water solutions for upstream oil and gas production,” he adds.

Water Treatment for Oil Industry

Suez Environment has made industrial water one of its four strategic priorities by 2020 and upstream oil and gas is one of the key sectors of its high-growth market, with yearly growth estimated at about 20% a year.

Degrémont benefits from the proven expertise provided by major players in the oil and petrochemicals industries and leverages its international locations to offer tailored solutions to its clients’ specific challenges, wherever clients are located.  

Degrémont notes that, in Brazil, it is one of Petrobras’ main partners for process water production and the treatment of industrial effluent from several of its refineries.

In China, Degrémont is responsible for an engineering and procurement contract for Chinese oil and gas company PetroChina’s wastewater treatment and recycling plant in Chengdu, in south-west China, while in the UK, it manages the entire water cycle for global petrochemicals manufacturer Ineos’ site, in Grangemouth, which refines about 200 000 bbl/d of petrochemicals.

 

Degremont

Edited by Tracy Hancock
Creamer Media Contributing Editor

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