GE signs compressor supply agreement with Shell
Under the agreement, Shell will have access to GE’s most advanced, high-tech compressor technology for deployment in Shell’s key projects in high-growth regions, including Australia, West Africa, Russia and the Caspian region, and Canada.
Prady Iyyanki, Vice President – Turbomachinery, GE Oil & Gas, said: “GE is committed to delivering enhanced value and efficiency to its global customers, including through the delivery of rigorously qualified and validated pre-engineered solutions that equate to faster execution in the pre- and post-order phases. Building on our successful cooperation with Shell over many years across the industry’s most challenging sectors, this agreement will help improve quality and repeatability for Shell, as well as boosting efficiency and optimising production for its mega-projects around the world.”
The GE equipment covered under the compressor Enterprise Framework Agreement with Shell will be manufactured at GE Oil & Gas’ facilities in Florence, Italy and Le Creusot, France. The agreement includes the supply of centrifugal compressors for the following key market segments: Liquefied natural gas (LNG) services and natural gas, refining and petrochemical applications.
GE has also recently announced it will supply two steam turbine-driven compressors for the Shell Prelude Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) project offshore Australia – which will be the largest floating offshore facility in the world. To meet the specific project requirements, GE is minimizing the casings of the steam turbines and compressors to reduce weight and footprint. GE is designing the compression trains to cover a wide range of operating conditions, developing a technology for potential use in future FLNG plants.
GE to provide equipment to develop one of the World’s largest oil reservoirs in Brazil
GE Oil & Gas has been selected to provide key equipment for a floating oil production, storage and offloading (FPSO) platform being built to develop the Guará Norte section of the Tupi oilfield in Brazil’s Santos oil basin. The multimillion-barrel deep-water Santos formation lies some 300 kilometers (190 miles) offshore Rio de Janeiro and its output is expected to transform Brazil into one of the world’s leading oil producers and exporters.
GE will supply the FPSO’s builder, SBM Offshore (SBMO), with four GE LM2500+G4 aeroderivative gas turbines, two turbocompressor trains driven by GE PGT25 gas turbines for CO2 compression and six EM driven GE compressors, along with related services, by the end of 2012. The FPSO will work in waters 2,300 meters (7,545 ft) deep and is designed to process 150,000 barrels per day (bpd) of production fluids; to treat 6,000,000 m3/day of associated gases for carbon dioxide/hydrogen sulphide removal and compression; and to inject 180,000 bpd water into the ground. Delivery is set for 2014 under a 20-year lease to the consortium developing Guará Norte: Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras), BG E&P Brasil LTDA and Repsol Sinopec Brasil S.A.
GE has a substantial and growing presence in Brazil to serve the oil and gas sector. GE plants in Jandira and Macaé support the large fleet of GE aeroderivative gas turbines working offshore, and provide state-of-the-art inspection, maintenance, repair, parts, tools and engineering services for drilling and for subsea wellhead, production and control systems. GE also has announced it will invest US$500 million to expand its Brazilian operations, including the establishment of a multi-disciplinary research and development center in Rio de Janeiro to pursue advanced technologies for the oil and gas sector, among other areas. Moreover, GE’s acquisition of Wellstream, a leading producer of flexible pipe equipment, significantly expands GE’s capabilities to serve the Brazilian offshore market from Wellstream’s Rio de Janeiro base.
“This project is an important step in the development of Brazil’s oil and gas industry, and we are pleased to have been chosen,” said Prady Iyyanki, Vice President – Turbomachinery, GE Oil & Gas “GE was able to offer all required compression and power generation services, and the company’s presence in Brazil helped to make it possible to meet the project’s demanding requirements for product delivery and support.”
GE completes tests on first LNG compressor train for an Australian project
GE Oil & Gas has successfully completed tests on the first of three liquefied natural gas (LNG) compressor trains being supplied for the development of Gorgon, one of the world’s largest untapped natural gas fields, off the coast of Australia. GE is providing a wide range of LNG and subsea technology for Gorgon, which will produce 15 million metric tons per year of LNG and is the world’s largest carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration project.
Both performance and full load tests on the mixed refrigerant and propane LNG compressor trains were carried out recently at GE’s facility in Massa, Italy.
“The tests were carried out as planned and the units met all the contractual requirements and acceptance criteria,” said Riccardo Procacci, General Manager Applied Technology for GE Oil & Gas. “Everything went smoothly, with no issues. The test was completed four months ahead of the contractual delivery date of the units, and the compressor performance exceeded our expectations.”
The LNG compressor train tests follow GE’s successful testing in August of the first of six CO2 reinjection trains being developed for Gorgon. The project is designed to minimize CO2 emissions by injecting 2420 tons per day of CO2 to the wellhead, up to four times more carbon dioxide than any other project worldwide.