Orseal Valves in Unique Offshore Project

A major offshore development in the UAE, the Upper Zakum oil field project has an estimated value of US$3.7billion and Orseal were delighted to be selected by the Phase 2 consortium (including Petrofac Emirates and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering - DSME), as one of more than 30 specialist sub-contractors required for this unique venture.

Located 80km off the coast, UZ750 is considered to be one of the major technical achievements in Abu Dhabi, and oil production capacity is set to increase to 750,000 bpd once the project is completed – now in its second phase, being carried out by Orseal’s customer in UK for Petrofac and DSME.

With a mandate to significantly increase production at Upper Zakum, a number of options were evaluated by ZADCO (the Zakum Development Company) who settled on the concept of artificial island-based drilling and production centres, using innovative Extended-Reach Drilling (ERD) and Maximum Reservoir Contact (MRC) technology. While both of these technologies have been applied in other parts of the world, they are new to this region and the projected scale of application at UZ750 is without precedent.

For this high-profile project, Orseal supplied a range of valves, from ½˝ to 12˝ manual operated and pneumatic actuated valves, to use in the Vacuum Pump Package for Satah al-Razboot (SARB), material being carbon steel and ali-bronze (for seawater).

Orseal carried out all inspection activities at their supplier premises to ensure that the products conformed to all end-user specifications – particularly important in this project, where space was at a real premium within the skid design. All logistics had to be precisely managed - with full contract delivery on the agreed date. All goods were specially packaged for air freight shipment to Dubai, ensuring no damage to any items of value during transit. Orseal provided a comprehensive document dossier package, included with the delivery to Free Zone Dubai.

With completion of UZ750 expected in 2017, this artificial island solution offers significant benefits, including a reduction in lifecycle development costs, and Orseal are pleased to have been a part of this major, innovative project.

For more information on this project, and to find out more about Orseal’s range and consultancy services, please contact us.

Tel: +44 (0)1204 474300
Email: sales@orseal.com
Web: www.orseal.com

Published in Valve User Magazine Issue 37