| Popis: |
Decommissioning operations in Brazil are increasing with the end of life of several assets. A relevant challenge for the decommissioning scenario is the cost estimate for the operations due to the existent uncertainties found in the evaluated scenarios. The objective of the article is to present the work carried out through a strategic program to reduce the average decommissioning cost in subsea operations. The average cost reduction initiative involves a technical working group that includes subsea engineering, project management and subsea operations members. This initiative comprises four major areas. Three of them (pull-out, removal and subsea operations) cover new tools for operations and review of operational procedures, adapting them to the actual demands of decommissioning projects. The fourth area, technology, seeks to automate the development of the flexible pipe removal project, especially in offshore fields where several pipe crossings are present. Ten fronts are being implemented, such as building up pull-out alternatives, using new tools and procedures in addition to the conventional ones. On the Removal front, processes are being adjusted to reduce the amount of material needed and new flowline recovery techniques with the use of new tools are being tested and implemented. The creation of actions for mapping scraps on the seabed is also being carried out. Another front under development is focused on the implementation of new techniques for cutting flexible pipes, connection opening and plugging equipment. And finally, automation of the sequencing of flexible pipes and umbilical removal will bring a significant gain in terms of resources and time management, in addition to operational improvement. The expectation is that these multiple fronts will save about US$ 40 million during operations in the coming years, in addition to saving operation time and contributing to future operation. Furthermore, it is estimated a 48% reduction in total time compared to a standard operation, when we consider the accumulation of gains on each front. The novelty of this program is linked to the fronts dealing with technology and processes. The creation of a computational algorithm is proposed to design an optimal order of vessel interventions over a field, which is currently done manually by the project engineers. |
