What follows is an abbreviated project profile on Stella Maris’ custom-designed Direct Hydraulic Subsea Well Control System, Chemical Injection System and SCADA System, which were custom-designed for Maritech Resources, Inc.

Client: Maritech Resources, Inc.

Project: Controls and Monitoring Systems for a three subsea well development tied back to an unmanned facility

The Task: Maritech Resources, Inc., a Woodlands, Texas, based oil and gas company dedicated to developing profitable acquisitions in the Gulf of Mexico, called upon Stella Maris to design and build a Direct Hydraulic Subsea Well Control System, Chemical Injection System and SCADA System based on the company's unique specifications.

Planning: Stella Maris developed a plan, established equipment costs for submission to the client and outlined the course of action for developing each component of the control system. Several components of the control system would have to be adjustable or specifically chosen for the well that it would be assigned to. Each piece of the system would be supplied with a set of documents to assist in understanding, troubleshooting and repairing the systems.

In its initial proposal, Stella Maris agreed to work as part of Maritech Resources’ subsea well development team. In effort to better understand the task at hand and stay current with the project’s progression, Stella Maris traveled to Houston to meet with the client for routine interface meetings.

Turning to earlier projects as a reference, Stella Maris determined the following data for each of the project:

Direct Hydraulic Subsea Well Control System: The proposed system, which ultimately was approved, featured pumps and accumulators sufficient to operate three (3) subsea wells. The controls were combined on a single skid with the Hydraulic Power Unit and powered by fuel gas. The HPU controls were set manually and then run automatically; the wells were manually opened and automatically shut in by sequential closing of the tree valves. The sequential closing of the trees could be locally initiated by the platform safety system or remotely via the SCADA system.

Chemical Injection System: As with the well control portion of the project, the chemical injection equipment would be well-specific. The methanol and corrosion inhibitor pump system would consist of pneumatically driven pumps. The flow assurance work was reviewed and the pump rates in a range from 0.08 to 60 gpd would be required. The same model pump would be used for each purpose and the rate range would be adjusted by selecting the proper piston size. This allowed for a reduced spare parts inventory.

PLC-based Monitoring System: The monitoring system designed and built for this application was PLC-based and communicated back to a manned facility over a satellite link. It monitored critical points such that the status of each well could be ascertained from the remotely installed HMI. The HMI on the manned facility allowed the operators of the wells to monitor points and shut in the wells remotely.

Site IntergrationTest: Once the Subsea Well Control System and associated ancillary equipment was completed, Stella Maris conducted a SIT with all of the components tied together as a system. The components were operated and tested as a completed system. All functional/safety requirements for the equipment were checked and documented as part of the testing. The completed system was then flushed to NAS 1638 cleanliness levels prescribed in the specifications.

To learn more about the intricacies of this or other design-and-build projects, or to discover how Stella Maris can design and build a custom system to fit your company’s unique needs, contact us at 337-504-5128.