Industry
Author
Want to share this article?
Power Generation for Offshore Environments
Like any other endeavor, offshore production platforms and vessels require energy to operate.
Unlike your average home or business, however, it’s generally not as simple as connecting an electrical power line. Power generation systems are largely integrated into a platform or vessel, and they certainly have to be more durable than many of their land-based counterparts.
In 2013, the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association (IPIECA) estimated that offshore drilling rigs utilizing diesel turbines — typically two or more of them — used from 20 to 30 m3 of fuel per day. IPIECA found that fuel consumption varied based on several factors, including what operations are being performed and whether the offshore structure is moored or dynamically positioned.
However, turbines fueled by something other than diesel are being used on offshore oil and gas platforms and vessels. Gas, steam, or even heavy oil turbines are being produced and distributed for offshore use by companies like GE, Ormat, Siemens, and Stewart & Stevenson. Some of those turbines are even able to run off of several types of fuel to ensure flexibility and uptime. Waste heat recovery systems are also beginning to be used to help recover energy lost from exhaust gases of turbines and generators, providing further energy savings.
Whatever the fuel, power generation systems must be reliable, efficient, and highly available. Conditions are often harsh and variable, requiring systems that are able to provide stable operation and, by design, reduce the need for frequent maintenance and overhaul. Materials and coatings must be thoughtfully chosen to reduce the effects of windy, saline, temperature-extreme environments. Designs are often modular to ease the process of installation and change outs. And certain levels of redundancy must be built into the system, including multiple engine control modules, compressors, transformers, and turbines. When designed and implemented properly, power generation systems keep offshore production continuous, effective, and safe over the long term.
Related services we offer
Leverage significant EPC experience for specialized control panel design and delivery.
Improve time and cost efficiencies with Opero Energy's turnkey processing equipment and systems.
Eliminate the need for frac tanks with customized, turnkey, trailer-mounted water treatment solutions.
Recover quickly from catastrophic events with our multidisciplinary capabilities and technical field expertise.
Empower your new-build construction, operations, maintenance, and decommissioning projects with reliable equipment and expert operators.
Safely and reliably extend productive life with customized solutions that boost asset integrity and combat corrosion.
Optimize your data management with powerful, highly accurate GIS solutions.
Achieve your success metrics for decarbonization without sacrificing profits with our scalable CCUS solutions.
Proactively assess your risk and enhance operational safety.
Bolster your team with the personnel needed to meet your engineering objectives.
Meet complex requirements, mitigate risk, and maximize project economics.
Unlock the hidden value of end-of-life assets with optimized decommissioning services and dismantling strategies.
Boost uptime, safety, and performance from final construction to operation and handover.
Enhance, extend, and maximize the productivity of brownfield assets for optimal return on investment.
Accelerate project timelines, improve plant performance, and circumvent issues before they affect operations.
Make better decisions and minimize risk with comprehensive non-destructive evaluations and ancillary inspections of energy, utility, and power assets.
Choose a systematic approach to material verification that ensures traceable, verifiable, and complete (TVC) operations.
Maximize efficiency and safety with solutions built on experience, technical capability, and data-driven insight.
Integrate local expertise and specialized knowledge to solve your complex land and right-of-way challenges.
Leverage the latest digital survey and mapping technologies to maximize your project’s success, regardless of its size or scope.
Increase transparency and ensure quality and compliance for all of your equipment and purchased products with vendor surveillance.
Ensure the availability, safety, and reliability of your facilities and assets with global inspection services.
Improve productivity and efficiency while reducing field downtime and costs with tailored construction management services.
Maintain compliance, integrity, and reliability across the safety system lifecycle with a holistic view of your asset.
Fortify your infrastructure, optimize network performance, and minimize cyber risk.
Maximize project value with integrated engineering and project management services.
Better define work scope and decrease uncertainty while meeting strategic objectives through expert conceptual design and feasibility studies.
Safely and efficiently develop projects with owner’s engineering services provided by a partner you can trust to advocate for your business goals.
Execute your construction project with the highest levels of quality and safety.
