September 11, 2013

Offshore Power Modules with diesel and dual fuel engines

Offshore production units usually operate in remote locations without any fixed connection to shore or other units, such as power cables, sometimes even gas pipelines. The isolated conditions require reliable capabilities for autonomous operation year around in all weather conditions. The most vital operational requirement for offshore production units is power production. Without a functional power source, the unit will not only be incapable of performing its production function but will also become a death trap for its crew and an environmental hazard for the surrounding nature. As safety is priority number one in all offshore operations, any vital systems must be redundant and up to a sufficient degree isolated from suffering black-outs due to any secondary cause.

In addition to being safe and reliable, a well-designed offshore power production system is flexible in its fuel intake. Depending on the point of time in field life or service cycle, the power production system should be able to utilize different types of fuel, such as Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Diesel Oil or even Heavy Fuel Oil. Fuel flexibility minimizes the need for importing any fuel to the production unit during the field life. Fuel flexibility is important especially in cases where a field has declining gas production and is not connected to gas pipeline infrastructure. In such a case, the power production system should be able to utilize natural gas in the beginning of field life and to shift to crude oil later.

In order to be a perfect fit for an offshore production unit, a power production system should always be designed to fit a specific project. Off-the-shelf products are always compromises. Deltamarin turns equipment and systems into advanced solutions that are well integrated to the production unit and provide a reliable service throughout their life cycle. Also the actual construction and integration of the power generation system must be well coordinated and fitted to the overall production unit project schedule to guarantee a smooth project execution without delays or other unwanted surprises.

A modern solution for the above mentioned requirements exists, is proven technology and at the hands of everyone in need: the individually packaged Offshore Power Module.

Operational Advantages and Application Flexibility

With its simple yet efficient design the Deltamarin Offshore Power Module provides reliable systems along with high operational availability at all times.

The module is designed to run on liquid fuels (diesel oil, crude oil, heavy fuel oil), gas or in dual fuel mode. Each module is engineered to fit a specific project, especially high specification projects. The Offshore Power Module is a result of decades of offshore and marine experience from hundreds of projects.

Flexible Manufacturing

The power module design combines the reliability of field-proven CAT engines and the state-of-the-art Deltamarin design. The module has been designed for flexible manufacturing enabling a competent lead-time for complete power module delivery.

Ready-made and fully functionally tested module can easily be installed on deck of the production unit at the fabricators yard. The design also allows for single-lift, plug-and-play installation of the complete module in offshore conditions.

Deltamarin OPM Design Features

Power rating: 3,800 – 17,280 kWe
Compliant with rules and regulations, such as Class rules and NORSOK
Designed for single lift installation and plug-and-play interface with the Production Unit
All OPM auxiliary systems are module specific offering the best redundancy in the OPM market
Noise and vibration attenuation guarantees crew comfort
Optional Waste Heat Recovery Unit
Fuel flexibility: MDO, HFO, Crude Oil or Fuel Gas