Hamworthy has secured a key reference in Brazil’s growing offshore market, following the award of the contract to supply pumps and pump systems for the Papa Terra FPSO by BW Offshore.
The Papa Terra oil field, 68 miles off the coast of Rio de Janeiro is 1,200 m below sea level. The field is reckoned to have the potential to yield up to one billion barrels of oil.
To be operated by BW Offshore on behalf of Petrobras, the Papa Terra FPSO is being converted from the ULCC BW Nisa at COSCO Dalian, for redelivery by late 2011. The completed vessel will feature a cargo pump room system, firewater pump system and sea-water lift pumps delivered exclusively by Hamworthy.
“The Hamworthy pump room system (PRS) with deck mounted booster stations has been delivered to several FPSOs since 2002 when BW Offshore converted their VLCC Berge Helene to an FPSO and has been selected again for Papa Terra,” said Paul Fleetwood, Managing Director, Hamworthy Pump Systems. “This is the optimal solution for the client as standard marine cargo pumps can be used in the pump room for normal offshore offloading to shuttle tankers, and when higher pressures are required, i.e. when offloading via an offshore buoy, an extra set of specially designed booster pumps on deck are used to boost the pressure.”
Mr Fleetwood said the Papa Terra FPSO’s Firewater Pump Package would consist of two mechanical hydraulic skids and one mechanical skid. “This also builds on previous experience with such packages that again go back to 2002 with the FPSO Berge Helene and 2006 with the FPSO Knock Addon. The detailed system design will be done by Hamworthy’s Baltic Design Centre in Poland and manufacture and testing will be carried out at Hamworthy’s newly extended facility in Singapore.
“The cargo offloading system and four large pumps that make up the seawater lift package will also be manufactured Hamworthy’s Singapore plant."
“With this contract, we have once more demonstrated our ability to offer clients key offshore pump systems in a single, competitive package that reduces bidding and project management complexity for the client. We are confident of extending our previous success with this reference for the Papa Terra field.”
