Aker BP taps Optime Subsea for remotely operated controls systems

Norwegian oil and gas company Aker BP has placed an order with Optime Subsea for two new, second-generation remotely operated controls systems (ROCS).

The second-generation system will come with a new stand-alone communication system for greater rig flexibility and efficient operations, and both systems will be supplied with Optime’s Panpipe universal landing string system.

The equipment will be manufactured and assembled at Optime Subsea’s headquarters and main manufacturing site at Notodden, Norway, and then supplied to Aker BP.

Delivery will take place over a period of three years, with additional two years as options.

To remind, Aker BP completed its first subsea well completion operation using ROCS in February last year on the Ærfugl field and has since then run the ROCS on six more wells.

“Our own analyses show significant benefits of applying the ROCS instead of a traditional system when completing subsea wells,” said Mads Rødsjø, VP D&W Operations at Aker BP.

“We have reduced our operating time, hence reducing the weather window requirement, we see less HSE exposure on the drill floor, have lowered our CO2 footprint and through digitalization we have removed 45 tons of surface equipment. In sum a great simplification and improvement of our subsea operations, in line with our strategy.”

This new order follows Optime Subsea’s decision earlier this year to invest a three-figure NOK million amount in building ten similar ROCS systems.

The system is said to eliminate the need for the umbilical that runs from the topside to the seabed to control the tubing hanger during completions of subsea wells and limit the health and safety concerns using a large topside hydraulic unit, with risk of damaging personnel and environment.

“We know that our ROCS technology is a vehicle to significantly reduce operators’ costs and carbon footprint. The decision to make the upfront investment in ten systems was based on our market position and the interest received from operators globally, as well as global market disruptions including supply chain constraints,” said Jan-Fredrik Carlsen, CEO of Optime Subsea.

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