ABB to equip Kraken FPSO with power and automation tech

ABB, a power and automation technology group, has won an order from Armada Kraken Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of Bumi Armada Berhad, a Malaysia-based international offshore oilfield services provider.

ABB will provide power and automation technologies for the floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel destined for the Kraken oil field, the biggest subsea oilfield project in the British North Sea.

The FPSO vessel will be delivered to EnQuest UK as the company plans to exploit the Kraken field’s estimated 140 million barrels of oil starting in 2017.

ABB says that the vessel’s newly installed system will contribute to efficient and safe operations as well as reliable power distribution on board. The order includes an integrated e-house solution with drives and systems for electrical distribution, integrated control, safety and power management.

Energy companies are investing in modern, efficient FPSO vessels outfitted with the latest power and automation equipment as exploration for oil and gas increasingly turns to offshore fields that hold the biggest promise, ABB explains. Already, around 40% of oil and gas recovery comes from offshore and the bulk of new discoveries are expected here as well.

“ABB is delighted to collaborate with Bumi Armada Berhad once again after the successful execution of two earlier FPSO projects,” said Stein Guldbrandsoy, ABB’s Global Market Segment Manager for Floating Production Units. “We will continue to build on our strong track record providing innovative technology for floating production units, robust project execution and an extensive service footprint.”

ABB will deliver a complete e-house, the structure that will accommodate the FPSO’s electrification and automation systems, and the systems contained within including integrated control and safety systems, medium and low voltage switchgear, distribution transformers, medium voltage variable frequency drives, uninterrupted power system, and electrical monitoring and control systems.

This is the most recent order for ABB from Bumi Armada Berhad. In 2012, ABB provided a complete e-house building package for the company’s FPSO vessel operating off the western coast of India and a complete automation package for the company’s FPSO vessels operating in the Balnaves oil field offshore Western Australia.

EnQuest is an independent oil and gas development and production company focused on the United Kingdom’s Continental Shelf. In 2013, the company was granted permission to develop the Kraken oil field that contains an estimated 140 million barrels of oil. EnQuest is leading the GBP 4 billion development in partnership with Cairn Energy and First Oil. The Kraken field has an expected production life of up to 25 years and first oil is targeted in 2017.