TotalEnergies, Equinor, Aker BP, DeepOcean, Tenaris and LS Cable & System are part of the project
TotalEnergies, Equinor, Aker BP, DeepOcean, Tenaris and LS Cable & System have collaborated to commercialise subsea flowline heating technology. The innovative solution has been designed to decrease manufacturing and installation costs by 35% and carbon emissions by 30% through the separation of pipeline and heating installation
Subsea tiebacks are critical to offshore oil and gas production, combining remote subsea wells with processing facilities via pipelines. Despite helping to lower infrastructure costs and advance field development, they face challenges in cold, deepwater environments. Tieback connections could face various flow-assurance challenges in subsea environments, particularly with wax, hydrate risks and long pipeline distance, where heating may be needed.
FlowHeat
The innovation, called FlowHeat, enables cable installation after the pipeline has been laid, simplifying subsea flowline heating. The technology also considers an alternative involving installing the cables in a reeled pipeline.
Andries Ferla, DeepOcean’s Technology director and project owner, said, “The patented design represents a breakthrough in subsea pipeline heating, offering significant cost savings, improved efficiency, and environmental benefits. The key advantages include reduced topside weight, lower power consumption, and less complex installation. The cable is also repairable and enables real-time monitoring via optical fibre.”
The FlowHeat system can be deployed after a pipeline has been laid and is suitable for distances of up to 30km with a potential to increase to 50km, in water depths of 3000 meters. This makes it an ideal solution for long subsea tiebacks. The technology also enables efficient heating installation using smaller remotely operating vehicles (ROV).
Florent Boemare, Offshore Solutions and Technology Research manager at TotalEnergies, who has been part of this development since the beginning, said, “After a very important phase progressing from idea to proof-of-concept, TotalEnergies is very enthusiastic to enter in a full-scale validation with this group of highly skilled specialists, for qualification of the technology. Together, we believe we can unlock longer tiebacks and access to remote reserves.”
The system contributes to a 30% decrease in carbon emissions by optimising the use of pipelines, reducing installation days, and allowing smaller vessels to be used. With cost reductions of up to 35% compared to traditional methods, FlowHeat represents a step-change in subsea flow assurance.
Initial small-scale and thermal trials have proven successful, with tests demonstrating reliable cable installation across obstacles, longer distances, and high electrical efficiency with low topside power demand. The technology is deployable for all vessel types.
Combining expertise
Each participating company brought a capability to the FlowHeat project, aligning to maximise commercial success from manufacturing to subsea installation:
- DeepOcean: The project owner and global subsea services provider was responsible for research, engineering, and project management. The company will optimise cable installation processes and provide value through innovation and subsea integration.
- Tenaris: The producer of specialised coating solutions contributed with its expertise and the development of innovative flow assurance solutions. Its end-to-end thermal insulation coating technologies can extend pipeline lifetime and decrease flowline operating and maintenance costs.
- LS Cable & System: Power and communications cables specialists, supplied advanced products such as submarine, extra-high voltage, superconducting, and fibre optical cables. LSC&S will offer global reach and technical expertise for long-distance subsea heating.
- TotalEnergies, Equinor, Aker BP: Industry operators provided domain knowledge, infrastructure, investment capacity, and R&D initiatives to validate and deploy FlowHeat in real-world applications.
