Bornemann Boosts Push into Subsea
German multiphase pump manufacturer Bornemann has decided to extend its involvement in the subsea market and next year aims to qualify itself as supplier of a complete subsea booster.
Following its decision a decade ago “to follow the call of the subsea market”, Bornemann’s twinscrew pump has already made significant inroads in this arena and is operating subsea on two projects, in both cases teamed up with Aker Kvaerner.
This involvement dates from 1998, when the two companies entered into a co-operation agreement for subsea multiphase boosting equipment. This included participation in Norway’s Demo 2000 programme, evolving into a pilot application at the Lyell field scheme in the UK North Sea.
That went on stream in February 2006, and, as Bornemann’s Gerhard Rohlfing said, became the first use of a twin-screw multiphase pump in real subsea conditions. It has now accumulated more than 14,000 operating hours.
Since then the partnership has notched up the far more high profile, truly commercial, and deepwater application at BP’s King field in the US Gulf of Mexico which started up in November last year.
Now Bornemann is carrying out a two-track development plan for its next move forward on the subsea front said the company’s Axel Jaeschke, speaking at the international EMBT conference that Bornemann has just hosted in Hanover. The first of these tracks is a research project named MBS (multiphase boosting system) that next year will reach the stage of “a small but real demonstrator”.
The second development path is for a 1 megawatt prototype, also to be ready in 2009. This involves a double-pressure-compensated design and will have an oil-filled but water-tolerant motor-cartridge.
It will be rated for 5000 psi and 2000 metre water depth, and will be ready for testing in 2009.
The three year MBS project started in January last year, partly sponsored by the German government. Its main focus, said Jaeschke, is on long distance power transmission and speed control.
The highlight of the associated subsea pump demonstration in 2009 will be the vertical installation of a twin-screw multiphase pump.
“Even though in future the main thrust for Bornemann will remain the surface market for liquid, multiphase and wet-gas boosting, there are good reasons to investigate the development of subsea solutions,” said Jaeschke.
He noted that the subsea arena is a technology driver that has significant output for surface equipment. Also, “we expect to be able to get orders for up to twenty subsea boosters in the coming years with our unique technical concept”.
This is the motivation for Bornemann to “be qualified in 2009 to be a commercial partner for subsea projects”.
