A Step Change in Safety and Quality for ESP Deployment in the North Sea

Abstract

The oil industry is going through a transformation in which reducing costs and increasing rig efficiency became paramount. In spite of this changing period, safety is, and must remain, the main concern for every offshore installation. In order to achieve a step change in safety during offshore ESP deployment in the North Sea, procedures and standard working instructions were reviewed and opportunities for improvements were identified. Innovative tools including a new cable spooling system and special subs were developed to increase safety and address operator concerns during ESP assembly. Special attention was also paid to the service quality and efficiency of the ESP offshore installation. The toolstore used during ESP completion was redesigned using lean and 5S techniques to optimize installation time, and a high efficiency tool was introduced to install cable protectors, considerably reducing ESP installation time. In order to monitor the changes and continue improving, a recording system was introduced and every offshore installation is recorded and used for assessment and training. The objective of this paper is to describe novel ideas developed in the North Sea that created a new level of safety and quality during ESP deployment. The improvements described in the paper might inspire other initiatives to increase quality and safety standards in the oil industry.