Pivotree, an oil and gas technology company, has constructed and tested a full-scale prototype of its i subsea production tree and vessel mooring system.

According to the company, the new Pivotree technology has the potential to revolutionize offshore energy development, making previously marginal and stranded oil and gas fields profitable and sustainable.

The 44 ton full-scale prototype combines traditional subsea tree technology with new elements that enable it to swivel, thereby offering 360° mooring capability for offtake vessels.

Source: Pivotree

“In combination, the Pivotree and FPSO represent a fully functional and self-sustaining field development concept that requires no additional infrastructure such as spread moorings, platforms, flowlines, pipelines and manifolds. All that extra equipment is taken out of the design, which means upfront CAPEX drops significantly and time to first oil is much faster. Once the well is drilled and completed, the FPSO can self-install the Pivotree flexible riser and swivel assembly upon entering the field. No additional equipment or construction spreads, such as crane vessels, are required to start production,” the company explained.

Further, Pivotree reportedly has the lowest physical impact on the seabed of any offshore development concept, with no subsea infrastructure to decommission.

“Being reusable and having a smaller physical footprint means less equipment to install and maintain during installation, operation and decommissioning, further increasing Pivotree’s environmental credentials. Once production is finished, the Pivotree can be removed and redeployed to another location quickly and efficiently with minimal seabed disturbance.”

The Pivotree concept is designed to first operate on smaller fields of less than 25 million barrels, in water depths of 50 to 500 meters. The system is intended for tankers weighing less than 50,000 deadweight tons, the company added.

Other potential applications for the Pivotree in the oil and gas space including:

• Fast development of commercial but stranded oil fields
• Inexpensive option to create cash flow ahead of full-scale development of larger fields
• Early production assessment for difficult-to-appraise reservoirs
• Extend the life of ageing assets and defer decommissioning costs
• Reinject CO₂ into offshore reservoirs for permanent storage