- Save space onboard FPSOs
- Use resulting spare capacity for increased productivity
- Eliminate large, inefficient compressor trains for gas reinjection
- Reinject higher density gas for a more efficient process
Cutting-edge Sulzer pumps support Petrobras HISEP technology, which is being developed to enable the separation of dense gas from oil at the seabed, rather than aboard floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels. The innovative process removes the need for large, energy-intensive compressors topside: saving energy, reducing costs and cutting carbon emissions.
A key partner in the project, Sulzer has collaborated with subsea expert TechnipFMC to develop and test dense gas pumps. These units are responsible for reinjecting the gas into the reservoir, which is central to the pioneering project initiated by Petrobras.
Revolutionizing carbon capture
Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies, such as CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR), increase production while reducing emissions. However, they traditionally rely on gas being separated, compressed and reinjected back into the well by onshore or topside vessel-based facilities. On an FPSO, approximately 60-65% of the topside is dedicated to gas processing. Moving this process subsea with HISEP offers the opportunity to:- Unlock significant weight savings
- Enable lower infrastructure costs
- Reduce the energy cost of each barrel produced
- Lower production related carbon emissions
A pioneering pump solution
The HISEP system uses bespoke Sulzer HPcpV vertical pumps to reinject the dense gas from the separators back into the reservoir. Pumps are hermetically sealed to resist the immense pressures encountered on the seabed.
At these depths, the dense gas behaves as a supercritical fluid. Harnessing nearly 200 years of pump expertise, 50 years of experience working with supercritical CO2 and unparalleled industry knowhow, Sulzer was able to accurately simulate and predict the behavior of the precision pump needed to move the dense gas.
Reducing carbon footprint offshore
Oil and gas are key resources for the world, and soon the industry will harness these kinds of technologies to take a significant leap in reducing the carbon footprint, as well as the energy costs, associated with production. The HISEP project is leading the way in improving the sustainability of the offshore industry.
We are excited to work with TechnipFMC and Petrobras to bring this remarkable new technology to life. By avoiding the need to process CO2 on the FPSO, this collaboration allows significant energy efficiency and topside space advantages.
Jonathan Lloyd
Head of Sulzer’s Flow Equipment Energy and Infrastructure Business Unit
Your contact
Bruno Antoniassi