TechnipFMC is delivering subsea solutions by providing the innovations of tomorrow, including advancing the electrification of the field.
TechnipFMC’s all-electric Robotic Valve Controller (RVC) – the world’s first – has been successfully operating the valves and chokes of a subsea water and gas injection manifold for the Petrobras Tupi pre-salt field in the Santos Basin off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.
The ground-breaking all-electric RVC is part of a contract to deliver a couple of robotic operated manifolds to Petrobras for its pre-salt initiatives.
The RVC is an all-electric robotic component installed on the top of the subsea manifold. Remotely operated by the topsides master control station, it eliminates the need for the hydraulic-multiplex operators and controls. It removes the need for hydraulic actuators and the control fluid to operate the valves and chokes, and reduces the size of the manifold and structure.
As a resident subsea device, it reduces the OPEX associated with ROV manifold operations. In the unlikely event of an operational issue, the RVC is ROV retrievable/replaceable and manifold operation is fully maintained.
The robotic all-electric technology offers more reliable, autonomous and intelligent field operations. It was developed with the objective to reduce the cost of our manifold solutions and resulted in a side effect of substantially lowering the overall carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions to fabricate and deliver these structures.
The RVC components were designed, produced and assembled at TechnipFMC’s manufacturing plant and tested at its Subsea Technology Center in Rio de Janeiro. After passing the systems integration test, the RVC was successfully installed, commissioned and has been fully operational subsea since February 2020.
“At TechnipFMC, we have made tremendous strides and continue to push the boundaries on cutting-edge technologies with the focus of improving economics and enhancing the performance of our products in current and future environments,” said Paulo Couto, Senior Vice President, Subsystem Engineering. “The Robotic Valve Controller is a great example of our advancements in intelligent technologies.”
The RVC is a powerful part of TechnipFMC’s all-electric portfolio of products and will be a key enabler for enhancing subsea economics.
