Power helpers: MTU drives in firewater pumps
on Norway's Johan Sverdrup oil platform

July 08, 2015   + + +  Norway has plans to tap into a new oil field by the end of 2019. The Johan Sverdrup oilfield is situated offshore some 155 km to the west of Stavanger in south-west Norway. Oil field operator Statoil is commissioning the construction of a field centre with living, process, drilling and production platforms. Five Framo firewater pumps powered by MTU Series 4000 units are to be deployed in the living and production areas.

Norwegian pump manufacturer Framo AS (part of Swedish Alfa Laval) is to deliver the five firewater pump systems in 2016. The job of the pumps will be to ensure that in case of fire, enough seawater is pumped onto the platform to contain and extinguish the blaze as quickly as possible. To be able to handle these gigantic volumes of water, the pumps need fast and powerful support. Hence MTU is supplying five specially configured Engine Plus Systems based on 20-cylinder Series 4000P83 units. Equipped with redundant engine controllers, the drives comply with the current NFPA20 regulation of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) in the US.

Each powered by a 2,800-kW MTU engine, the pumps have a throughput of 3,174 m3 per hour. That means that they can take 880 litres of seawater per second at 16-bar pressure to the production and living platforms for immediate fire-fighting. Framo firewater pumps are renowned for high availability and outstanding reliability. Framo has chosen to endorse MTU engines because their capabilities allow the pumps to satisfy the tough demands that arise in emergency situations. "For over twenty-five years now, MTU has been a trusted partner whom we can rely on to fulfil our challenging space and flow rate requirements," explained Kenneth Samuelsen, Application Manager from Framo.

Johan Sverdrup is one of the five biggest oil fields on the Norwegian continental shelf. The oil reservoir lies at a depth of some 1,900 m and its oil reserves are estimated at some 1,700 to 3,300 million barrels. Over the next fifty years, this stands to bring income of 670 billion Norwegian kroner or 77 billion euros to the Norwegian state, making the Johan Sverdrup a key industrial project that will generate many jobs.

Besides the five firewater pump drives, MTU is also supplying Framo with three 20V Series 4000P83 emergency gensets that will provide standby power in the event of a power failure in the living quarters. Their commissioning is scheduled for 2017.

Source: Detlev Köster, Nina Felicitas Kunzi,
MTU-Report  July 2015 -  www.mtu-online.com