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Sam Johns
Subsea Awareness Course
Subsea Control Fluids
AGENDA
Fluid Flow and Pressure Transfer Corrosion Protection & Material Compatibility
Direct Hydraulics
<5 km offset (max)
20 km offset
Large offset
••Very
Verylow
low viscosity
viscosity2 cSt2 (40°C)
cSt (40°C)
• Total loss, discharge to marine environment,
•Total loss, discharge to marine
therefore water based fluid
environment
Water based control fluids
20 km offset
110°C
140°C
• Higher flowing wellhead temperature (see
example) {HT Wells considered +149°C
(300°F}
• Pressure over 690 bar 150°C
• Fluid needs to be thermally stable and
compatible with all materials
HP/HT – Surface trees
Platform installations cannot use water-
based control fluids as the control fluid can
boil on shut-down. New material compatibility
issues.
Is existing compatibility data
valid at higher
temperatures?
UK HSE OTO 99001 states
that hydraulic fluid should
be stable at flowing well
SSSV, flowing well
temperature +10˚C
temp up to 180 ˚C
Sub Surface Safety Valve
Hydraulic
Oil control line
Flow
Piston Rod
Pivot Actuator
Flapper Valve
Downhole choke
Zone 1
Hydraulic operated sliding sleeve 1
Exposed to full reservoir temperature
5000m +
& pressure
2
3
from Zones 2 & 3
Gas Hydrates
Scophthalmus
Acartia Tonsa maximus
Mediterranean
• Egypt, Spain – likely to follow Caspian Sea
OSPAR guidelines • Kazakhstan
Middle East
• Libya, Abu Dhabi, Dubai
GoMex
• Local legislation applies West Africa
• Toxicity testing on final product • Angola - Draft legislation based on OSPAR
• No sheen on water surface • Nigeria - Product registered under NAFDAC
Veins Arteries
Heart
Anything Pump
Topside Subsea
Missing?
Control Fluid = Blood
Directional
Control Valve
Brain
Accumulator
Blood Vessel
Actuator
System Schematic
Veins Arteries
Return Heart
Kidneys Pump
Topside Subsea
Line Filters
Supply
Control Fluid = Blood
Directional
Control Valve
Brain
Accumulator
Blood Vessel
Actuator
Types of contamination
Drain
Return Supply
Sample
point
System Contamination - Water
• Detection of water
– Sampling
• Karl Fisher testing
• Density
• Using equipment that specifies relative saturation
• So what?
– Water in the system reduces the performance of the fluid such
as:
• Increases chances of corrosion
• May allow biological growth
• Mitigation
– Product designed for water tolerance
– Regular sampling and monitoring
– Purifiers and dryer units (synthetics)
System Contamination - Chemical
• Detection of chemicals
– Sampling
• Visual inspection
• Using various specialised spectroscopy methods
• So what?
– Chemicals in the system reduces the performance of the fluid such as:
• Ability to act as motive medium alters viscosity
• Increases chances of corrosion
• May cause blockage
• May allow biological growth
• Mitigation
– Control fluids tested for compatibility of fluids and materials of construction
– Regular sampling and monitoring
HPU samples
Effects of mixing synthetic &
water glycol
Synthetic and water based
control fluids
• Do not mix
Synthetic
• Two clear phases
1% 5% 10% • Water glycol sinks to the bottom
Water/glycol
After agitation
• Mixture is cloudy, opaque.
• Single phase
• Fluids can not be recovered and
should be scrapped
System Contamination -
Hydrocarbon
Risk Cost
Time
Summary
Subsea Control Fluids
Castrol Offshore
Drilling Strategy 2006 to 2009