Streamlined Design Reduces Footprint by 12% and Weight by 10%, Delivering Significant Installation, Maintenance and Cost Benefits for Deepwater Operators


Expanding its advanced technology portfolio for the deepwater drilling and production sector, GE Oil & Gas has officially launched the new VetcoGray DHXT deepwater horizontal tree and integral control system at the 2010 Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) taking place from May 3-6 in Houston, Texas, U.S.

The DHXT is designed to operate in water depths up to 10,000 feet and at pressures up to 15,000 psi. The streamlined design reduces standard industry horizontal tree footprint by 12% (to 4.5M x 4.4M) and weight by 10% (to 43.7 tonnes), delivering significant installation, maintenance and cost benefits for operators.

The D-Series package includes the integral VetcoGray ModPod, a subsea control module that is powered by SemStar5™, representing a new generation of ultra-reliable, open architecture subsea control and instrumentation systems.

Manuel Terranova, Global Region Leader – Drilling & Production, GE Oil & Gas said: “Building on the successful launch in September of our new S-Series with the SVXT tree for harsh shallow-waters, we are delighted to introduce the new DHXT subsea tree for deep-waters globally, including the Gulf of Mexico, Asia Pacific and West Africa. The DHXT is a highly flexible deepwater solution that offers operating companies superb engineering-design, functionality, installation and maintenance, and cost benefits. The tree has been developed from field proven technologies and is now commercially available.”

Unparalleled Deepwater Flexibility for Operators
Designed and manufactured in Houston, U.S. and Aberdeen, Scotland, U.K., the newest member of GE’s modular, short-delivery subsea tree systems, and the first of the Deepwater D-Series to be launched, the DHXT horizontal tree builds on more than 25 years of design heritage and subsea experience.

As with the new VetcoGray SVXT S-series subsea tree (for shallow-waters) that GE launched at Offshore Europe 2009, the new VetcoGray DHXT is a flexible solution, and design-engineered as the result of continuous consultation and input from both major and independent oil companies. This approach delivers improved functionality and flexibility by incorporating common project requirements to meet a wide range of customer standards.

The new VetcoGray DHXT has three primary configurations:
  1.DHXT-SP - a Standard Production tree designed for lowest installed cost and reliability. A modular concept is used for all major components of the tree. This system delivers full deepwater capabilities in a compact, lightweight and flexible package.
  2.DHXT-EP - an Enhanced Production tree system offering additional functionality. The annulus wing block is extended to include additional valves and sensors for improved annulus pressure management.
  3.DHXT-GP – a Gas Lift production tree system offering further functionality. Additions to the standard system include a gas lift choke, dual-bore flow-line connector and sensors.

D-Series Package includes VetcoGray ModPod, Powered by Award-Winning SemStar5
The new D-Series package includes the integral VetcoGray ModPod, powered by the VetcoGray SemStar5, a fifth generation subsea electronics module, for first deployment next year by Statoil’s Tordis Vigdis Controls Modification (TVCM) project in the North Sea, west of Norway.

Featuring a modular design approach, SemStar5 offers new levels of open architecture IP-enabled communication capabilities and infrastructure to support the higher bandwidth requirements of modern instrumentation, while also offering high reliability.

The VetcoGray SemStar5 is being developed and manufactured at GE Oil & Gas’ facilities in Nailsea, U.K. along with VetcoGray ModPod subsea control modules, and will be shipped to the project site in Norway for installation offshore shortly. The VetcoGray SemStar5 was awarded a ‘Spotlight on New Technology Award’ at last year’s Offshore Technology Conference.

In addition, the new DHXT and subsea system can be monitored remotely from GE’s new SmartCenter (Subsea Monitoring and Remote Technology Center) a state of the art remote-access data hub connected to subsea field control and instrumentation facilities around the world. Officially opened in October 2009, the new SmartCenter facility offers assistance and services to the field at every stage of development - from installation and commissioning, through field start up and onwards into routine operation for operational support, condition monitoring, diagnostics, and production optimisation.

The DHXT deepwater tree with integral control system also features the option for a SemStar5-R, which is a freestanding subsea data hub package designed for installation on subsea trees, manifolds and process facilities. The unit is deployed and retrieved by ROV, with connections to the subsea control and instrumentation system made with wet-mateable ROV-deployed jumpers – using either electrical or fiber-optic connections. The external package is fully marinized for long-term subsea immersion, and the internal data-hub multiplexing unit is an application-specific configuration of the innovative VetcoGray SemStar5™ subsea electronics module.

GE’s OTC Booth (#1641) Showcases Subsea Technology Leadership and Reliable Innovation
GE Oil & Gas is showcasing its extensive and integrated subsea portfolio of solutions at OTC, including trees, controls, manifolds, connection systems, subsea power and processing. All of these systems are designed to provide competitive lead times, benchmark reliability and lowest installed cost. With 20 years of operating experience in harsh environments, GE’s VetcoGray tree systems are an established industry benchmark.

GE Oil & Gas is working on a number of ‘game-changing’ technologies for the industry and in the next three years will spend over $500M on R&D that includes: subsea compression, separation and power; a 150 bar gas and sand tolerant twin-screw pump; Alternating Current and Direct Current power-transmission systems, and C02 reinjection; and also U.S. Department of Energy co-funded R&D in downhole electronics solutions that could take temperature ratings from today’s 175 degrees Celsius to 300C (570F).

Check out the new VetcoGray D-Series DHXT subsea tree at GE Oil & Gas’ OTC Booth #1641 – or find out more at www.ge.com/oilandgas.