Presenter:

Sam Johns
Subsea Awareness Course
Subsea Control Fluids
 AGENDA

• Health and Safety

• What is a Hydraulic Fluid?
• What’s Special about Subsea Control Fluids?
• History of Subsea Control Fluids
• Qualification of Subsea Control Fluids
• Environmental Compliance
• Anatomy of Subsea Control Fluid
• The Subsea System and Contamination
• Summary
Health and Safety
 Health and Safety
• Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
– Purpose of a MSDS
• Describes the hazards associated with material
• Describes safety equipment required to mitigate these hazards
• Describes any medical interventions required by these hazards
– Where can I get one? From Castrol Web site www.castrol.com/offshore
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
– e.g. Gloves, Glasses, Overalls
– Clearly stated on the MSDS
– Responsibility of the employer to provide it and train you how to use it
– Key points
• Look after condition of your PPE
• Do not put on dirty PPE
What is a Hydraulic Fluid?
 What is a Hydraulic Fluid ?

Fluid Flow and Pressure Transfer Corrosion Protection & Material Compatibility

Transports Debris Lubricates and Cools

 What is a Hydraulic Fluid?

• Hydraulic fluids provide a motive medium in hydraulic

machinery (i.e. transfer pressure and/or flow).
• Fluid types include mineral oil, synthetic compounds, water,
and water-based mixtures.
• Possibly your most recognized use of hydraulic fluids is in
your cars brake, power steering, and transmissions systems.
• Hydraulic systems are very common in aircraft flight control
systems. (The origin of controls technology used in the
Subsea Industry)
 Features of a Typical
Hydraulic Fluid
Hydraulic fluids require:
• Low Compressibility to provide an effective motive medium.
• Controlled Viscosity profile to meet application demands (Viscosities
generally in excess of 20cSt).
• Controlled Cleanliness suitable to system requirements.
• Lubricity (pumps, motors, valves, etc).
• Corrosion inhibition.
• Material Compatibility
• Mobilise debris and contamination
• Cooling
• Fluid Stability
(Hydraulics is derived from Greek 'hydor' water and 'aulos' pipe)
 Range of Hydraulic Fluids
Hydraulic
Fluids

Subsea Control Industrial Fluids

Fluids

Mineral oil Water glycol Synthetic Mineral oil Water glycol

based based hydrocarbon based based

Derived from (2 cSt) Manufactured in Derived from (>20 cSt)

refined chemical plant refined
crude oil (10 cSt) crude oil
(20 – 30 cSt) (>20 cSt)
What’s Special about Subsea
Control Fluids?
 What’s Special about Subsea
Control Fluids?
• Work in Hostile Environment
– Operate surrounded by seawater
– Have to operate over wide temperature ranges
– Have to operate at high pressures
– Have to operate over extended distances
• Water depth (Hydrostatic effects)
• Extended Tie-back Distances
• Extended well completions in terms of both depth and reach from subsea
wellhead.
– Compatibility with Hydrocarbons (liquid and gaseous)
• Other Factors
– Compatibility with large range of materials and equipment (different OEMs)
– Compatibility with large range of completion fluids and production chemicals
– Environmental Legislation
– Extended Service Life
 Features of a Subsea Control Fluid
vs Standard Hydraulic Fluid
Type Mineral Oil Synthetic Oil Water Glycol
Castrol Transaqua
Castrol Hyspin
Castrol Brayco HT2,
Examples AWHM 32,
Micronic SV/3 Oceanic HW540,
Shell Tellus 32
HW443
Sea Water Intolerant Tolerant Tolerant

Pour Point -42°C < -50°C -39°C

Thermal limit > Max 100°C > 200°C > 90 - 180°C

300 Bar 1,400 Bar 1,400 Bar
Pressure range
(4,350 psi) (20,000 psi) (20,000 psi)
Operating depth N/A (except ROVs) 3000m+ 3000m+
 Features of a Subsea Control Fluid
vs Standard Hydraulic Fluid (Cont.)
Type Mineral Oil Synthetic Oil Water Glycol
Operating 100km+ Subsea 100km+ Subsea
Max 2km
Range 2km+ Submudline 2km+ Submudline
Viscosity @
>20 (32) 10 2
40°C (cSt)
Density @ 20°C
0.82 0.82 1.07
(g/ml)
Open (& Closed)
Closed loop systems
Application Closed loop systems loop systems – 90%
– 10% of projects
of projects

Note: Density of seawater is around 1.025

 Development of
Subsea Control Fluids
Platform well control

Direct Hydraulics (Synthetic, Mineral oil or water based fluid)

HPU Dry Tree

Sub Surface Safety Valve (SSSV)

Offset limited by physical
properties

Direct Hydraulics
<5 km offset (max)

High pressure drops,

excessive replenishment times
 Extended offset

20 km offset

• Multiplexed control systems and.....

• Lower viscosity control fluids
• Improved replenishment times
(Synthetic hydrocarbon or water based)
 Total loss systems

Large offset

••Very
Verylow
low viscosity
viscosity2 cSt2 (40°C)
cSt (40°C)
• Total loss, discharge to marine environment,
•Total loss, discharge to marine
therefore water based fluid
environment
 Water based control fluids

• First water based subsea control fluid utilised on

Statoil Gullfaks development in early 1980’s.
• This type of fluid requires the control system to
incorporate:
– Higher specification metals, plastics & elastomers.
• Total loss systems require continuous replenishment.
Can be discharged to the marine
environment
(Open Loop Systems)
 Closed loop

20 km offset

• Low viscosity 10 cSt (40°C)

• Synthetic hydrocarbon based fluids
• Fluid cleaned, dried and re-used
(Fill for life)
 Synthetic based control fluids

• First synthetic hydrocarbon based subsea control fluid was

utilised on Shell Cormorant Underwater Manifold Centre
(early 1980’s)
– Greater stability
– Tolerant of seawater contamination
– Excellent materials compatibility
• This type of fluid requires the control system to incorporate:
– return line(s)
– oil purification system (filter, vacuum dehydration to remove water)
• Systems are essentially "filled for life"
 New Demands

• Strengthening environmental legislation

– Raw materials that are environmentally acceptable are becoming
increasingly limited
– Will total-loss systems continue to be acceptable?
• Operational conditions
– Deeper water
– High Pressure, High Temperature (HP/HT) developments
– Sub Surface Safety Valves (SSSV)
– Downhole chokes
– Gas Hydrates
 Deeper Water

Fluid density relative to sea water affects

the hydrostatic head (>1000m)
+ve head – back pressure may affect
valve closures
-ve head - sea water leaks into the
system
 Deeper Water
Hydrostatic Pressure (P) = Density (ρ) x Gravity (g) x Depth (h)
Density Comparison
Castrol Brayco Micronic SV/3 0.82
Water 1.00
Seawater 1.025 (varies across the world)
Castrol Transaqua HT2 1.07
Castrol Brayco Castrol Transaqua
Fluid Micronic SV/3 HT2
Seawater Hydrostatic
302 Bar 302 Bar
Pressure (@ 3000m)
Fluid Hydrostatic
241 Bar 316 Bar
Pressure (@ 3000m)
Δ Pressure - 61 Bar +14 Bar
 HP/HT – Subsea trees

110°C

140°C
• Higher flowing wellhead temperature (see
example) {HT Wells considered +149°C
(300°F}
• Pressure over 690 bar 150°C
• Fluid needs to be thermally stable and
compatible with all materials
 HP/HT – Surface trees
Platform installations cannot use water-
based control fluids as the control fluid can
boil on shut-down. New material compatibility
issues.
Is existing compatibility data
valid at higher
temperatures?
UK HSE OTO 99001 states
that hydraulic fluid should
be stable at flowing well
SSSV, flowing well
temperature +10˚C
temp up to 180 ˚C
Sub Surface Safety Valve

Hydraulic
Oil control line
Flow

Piston Rod
Pivot Actuator

Flapper Valve
 Downhole choke

Zone 1
Hydraulic operated sliding sleeve 1
Exposed to full reservoir temperature
5000m +
& pressure
2

3
from Zones 2 & 3
 Gas Hydrates

Crystalline solid compounds (water & light gases)

 Gas Hydrates

• How do they form?

Water based Synthetic based
Source Source
High conditions in hydraulic HP conditions in hydraulic HP
 control lines
 control lines
pressure:
Low seabed temperatures seabed temperatures
 
temperature:
Presence of water based control fluid Requires free water. Water
 ? ingress due to pressure
water:
drop from sea or formation.
Free water migrates down
due to density difference.
Gas (C-1, potential migration through potential migration through
? SSSV/ sliding Sleeve
? SSSV/Sliding Sleeve
methane):
 Qualification of
Subsea Control Fluids
 Qualification of Subsea
Control Fluids
• The qualification of a Subsea Control Fluids is now
controlled by ISO 13628-6, Annex C
– Water-Glycols: Stability, compatibility, filterability,
lubricity and wear
• Thermal Stability - High temperature
• Thermal stability - Low temperature
• Thermal stability - High temperature in the presence of seawater
• Seawater compatibility
• Control fluid compatibility
• Completion fluid compatibility
• Compatibility with miscellaneous operational fluids**
• Metal compatibility
• Elastomer compatibility
• Thermoplastic compatibility
• Filterability

**Examples: Wellbore acids, methanol or compensation fluid, silicon or

insulating oil
 SSSV testing

• Piston rod actuator testing

• Example of test conditions

– 180 deg C, 15,000 psi simulated
well bore, 20,000 psi HP line
– 600 cycles, 4 x 150 cycles with
28 day hold periods in energised
position (at well bore temperature
& pressure) between cycles,
digital monitoring of each open,
close cycle

• Evaluate seals before and after

test
 DCV testing

• Performance assurance requires fluid qualification

testing on DCV's and Choke control valves. These
tests check for fluid lubrication performance and
compatibility with materials.

• Example of test conditions

– HP DCV - Typically 690 bar, 25K cycles
– LP DCV - Typically 345 bar, 25K cycles
– Choke Control Valve 345 bar, 1M cycles
– Tests carried out at ambient temperature conditions
• At intervals during the testing performance checks
are made:-
• Leakage test across shear seals and pilot solenoid
• Delatch test - to check for frictional changes,
indicating wear
• Valve stripped after test and components evaluated
 Thermoplastic
compatibility
Testing carried out at NEL, (Third party test house)
• Umbilical hose liners such as Nylon 11 TLO, Ducoflex 3, tested at 70°C for
three months, under pressure cyclic conditions to API 17E
• Analysis of mechanical properties measured after 1, 2 and 3 months
Environmental Compliance
 Environmental Performance of
control fluids
• Environmental performance characterised by:
– Marine Toxicity
• Toxic effect on marine organisms (four different
species)
– Persistence
• Bioaccumulation
– The tendency of a substance to permeate fatty tissue and
enter the food chain
• Biodegradation
– The tendency of a substance to break down in the
environment due to biological action
 OSPAR Organisms
Skeletonema Costatum

Algae – microscopic organisms living on or near the surface Surface

Crustaceans – living in the water phase Water Layer

Scophthalmus
Acartia Tonsa maximus

Fish – bottom dwellers free Seabed

swimming in the water phase

Sediment Reworkers Mud Layer

– living in the seabed
sedimentary layer.
Corophium Volutator
 Global Environmental Legislation
Canada (OSPAR)
• Follow OSPAR guidelines
• Biodegradation, bioaccumulation, and toxicity.

North Sea (OSPAR)

• UK, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and Ireland
• Biodegradation, bioaccumulation, and toxicity.

Mediterranean
• Egypt, Spain – likely to follow Caspian Sea
OSPAR guidelines • Kazakhstan
Middle East
• Libya, Abu Dhabi, Dubai

GoMex
• Local legislation applies West Africa
• Toxicity testing on final product • Angola - Draft legislation based on OSPAR
• No sheen on water surface • Nigeria - Product registered under NAFDAC

Australia, India, Indonesia

South America • follow OSPAR guidelines
• Brazil – local legislation applies • Australia – additional local species toxicity
• toxicity testing on final product testing
New Zealand, Malaysia, Philippines
 What other environmental
measures can we take
• The fluids are tested to be environmentally compliant, but
you also have to reduce the chances of accidental
discharges or minimise durations. How is this achieved?
– Verify system integrity after installation
– Identify and fix leaks
– Leakage of subsea hydraulic control fluid can be very high
(+500 litres per day)
– Water based control fluid may incorporate a coloured or
fluorescent dye or U.V. tracer to allow subsea leak detection
– Three methods for subsea leak detection
• Control fluid with a visible dye and normal floodlights.
• Control fluid with a U.V. Tracer and U.V. floodlights.
• Control fluids with a U.V. Tracer and a narrow bandwidth U.V. light
source and optical detector. (detection to 1 p.p.m. in seawater)
 Subsea Leak Detection

ROV mounted floodlights showing fluid

leakage - Visible spectrum
 Anatomy of a
Subsea Control Fluid
 Building Blocks of
a Control Fluid
• The major component of any control fluid is the basefluid.
• The rest of the control fluid is made up of a number of
additives (can be up to 12 in number) to add such features
as:-
– Anti-oxidant
– Corrosion inhibitor
– Anti-wear
– Anti-foam
– Biocide
– Dye / Leak Tracers
• Once formulated and qualified, quality control is required to
ensure consistency of supply worldwide.
 Summary

• Hydraulic fluids are developed specifically for

subsea applications
• They need certain performance characteristics,
which are achieved by selecting the correct
additives
• The properties of the product can be adversely
affected by introducing contamination.
The Subsea System
and Contamination
Subsea control system

• The control fluid is in contact with

every component from topside HPU,
down to the SCSSV or Downhole
Chokes.
• Reliability of the system is the
objective
 Reliability

• It is essential to take a system approach to control

system design, build, commissioning and operation,
and to include control fluids in that process.
• Reliability in operation is down to maintenance of
the fluid and reducing contamination of the fluid.
 System Schematic

Veins Arteries
Heart
Anything Pump

Topside Subsea
Missing?
Control Fluid = Blood

Directional
Control Valve
Brain
Accumulator
Blood Vessel

Actuator
 System Schematic

Veins Arteries

Return Heart
Kidneys Pump

Topside Subsea
Line Filters
Supply
Control Fluid = Blood

Directional
Control Valve
Brain
Accumulator
Blood Vessel

Actuator
 Types of contamination

• Contamination falls into four broad categories

– Solid particulate matter
– Water
– Chemicals
– Hydrocarbon
• All contaminants have an effect on the control system and
the control fluid
• The effects of contaminants are almost always undesirable
 System Contamination - Solids

• Umbilical and Subsea Connections • Tree/pod

• suspended solids from mudline • Elastomeric
particles from
actuator seals
• HPU Surface & Control Panels
and
• Airborne particulates accumulator
• Fluid transfer contaminants • Downhole equipment (seal bladders
(solid) damage) • Metal particles
• Pumps (metallic particles) • Completion fluids (Drilling from DCV
• Accumulators (elastomeric Muds) • Greases
particles) • Produced sands
• Design allowing unfiltered • Vertical control line allowing
communication between downward migration of solid
supply and return tanks particulates
 Solids contamination
• Detection of solids
– Contamination measured using one of the following standards:
• NAS 1638 (now replaced by following standard) [Class 6]
• SAE AS4059 [Class 6b-f]
• ISO 4406 [15/14/11]
• So what?
– Solids able to migrate around system causing:
• Blockage (DCVs , filters)
• Wear and equipment damage
• Mitigation
– Quality assurance of control fluid
– Good housekeeping of stored fluids
– Sampling of top up fluids prior to fill.
– Cleaning of transfer equipment
– Filters and change out regime
– Maintenance of equipment
 Example of how system design
can impact fluid

Drain
Return Supply
Sample
point
 System Contamination - Water

• Umbilical and Subsea Connections • Tree/pod

• Sea water from subsea connection (Seawater)
• Leaks • Leaking seals
• Damaged
• HPU Surface & Control Panels
components
• Reservoir breathing
• Salt spray / condensed • Downhole equipment (seal
moisture damage)
• Precipitation • Produced water
• Water injection
 Water contamination

• Detection of water
– Sampling
• Karl Fisher testing
• Density
• Using equipment that specifies relative saturation
• So what?
– Water in the system reduces the performance of the fluid such
as:
• Increases chances of corrosion
• May allow biological growth
• Mitigation
– Product designed for water tolerance
– Regular sampling and monitoring
– Purifiers and dryer units (synthetics)
 System Contamination - Chemical

• Umbilical and Subsea Connections • Tree/pod

• Production chemicals (Incorrect • Incorrect fluid
hook-up) fills
• Incorrect fluid fills • Cross
• HPU Surface & Control Panels
• Change of service communication
• Incorrect fluid top-up of stab plates
• Fluid transfer contaminants
(liquid) • Downhole equipment (seal
damage)
• Completion fluids
• Production chemicals
 Chemical contamination

• Detection of chemicals
– Sampling
• Visual inspection
• Using various specialised spectroscopy methods
• So what?
– Chemicals in the system reduces the performance of the fluid such as:
• Ability to act as motive medium alters viscosity
• Increases chances of corrosion
• May cause blockage
• May allow biological growth
• Mitigation
– Control fluids tested for compatibility of fluids and materials of construction
– Regular sampling and monitoring
HPU samples
 Effects of mixing synthetic &
water glycol
Synthetic and water based
control fluids
• Do not mix
Synthetic
• Two clear phases
1% 5% 10% • Water glycol sinks to the bottom

Water/glycol

After agitation
• Mixture is cloudy, opaque.
• Single phase
• Fluids can not be recovered and
should be scrapped
 System Contamination -
Hydrocarbon

• Umbilical and Subsea Connections • Tree/pod

• Backflow of hydrocarbon from trees • Seal leakage
and wrong hook up of umbilical • Cross
connections communication
• HPU Surface & Control Panels
on multi-bore
hubs
• Downhole equipment (seal
damage)
• Hydrocarbons (liquid & gas)
 Hydrocarbon contamination
• Detection of Hydrocarbon
– Sampling of returns
• Visual inspection
• So what?
– Hydrocarbons in the system reduces the performance of the fluid such as:
• May cause similar effects to chemicals
• May cause hydrate formation (gas)
• May also include other contaminates such as:
– Produced water
– Produced sand
• Mitigation
– Careful installation of equipment and pressure testing
– Design of equipment and seal technology.
– Careful control of supply pressure against reservoir pressures
– Control fluids tested for compatibility against fluids and materials.
– Regular sampling and monitoring
 Investigative Work
• In order to establish what control fluids may be
contaminated with a number of Spectroscopy
techniques may be used:
– ICP - Inductively Coupled Plasma spectroscopy. A rapid elemental
technique that measures multi - elements within a fluid sample, by passing
the sample through a plasma flame. It allows quantitative and qualitative
analysis and is used to verify levels of performance additives, quality control,
identification of wear metals and other contaminants.
– NMR - Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. The fluid or solid sample is subjected
to a very strong magnetic field. This causes the atoms of the sample to
resonate at a unique frequency. By measuring the resonance
frequencies, complete structural information on the sample can be
obtained. It is a powerful technique that can provide detailed information on
the three-dimensional structure of molecules. Used to identify detailed
chemistry of raw materials, finished products and contaminants.
– SEM - Scanning Electron Microscope. The surface of a sample (most
usually solid) is scanned with a high-energy beam of electrons. The electrons
interact with the sample and produce signals that contain information about
the sample's surface topography and composition. It is used to validate the
composition of materials, check coating integrity and depth and the quality of
surface finishes.
 Investigative Work
– XRF - X-Ray Fluorescence. X-rays are used to excite a sample and the
elements present emit characteristic X-ray energies. Used for qualitative
identification of elements only. Test samples can be fluid or solid. Often used in
conjunction with other tests.
– IR – Infrared Spectroscopy. An Infrared light source is used excite a sample
and produce a spectrum which can be compared against libraries of pure
compounds or other known samples, for rapid identification of chemical make-up.
Another level of Spectroscopy which can be applied to a variety of radiative
techniques is Fourier transform spectroscopy in this case of infrared it’s
known as FTIR.
– GC - Gas Chromatography. An inert gas carries the fluid sample through a
column of inert polymer. The various components in the sample interact with
and are held by the inert column. This causes the components to pass through
(elute) at different times called retention times. Comparison of these retention
times with known references allows identification of components within
fluid samples. Used for identification of low level contamination in samples and
checking the quality / purity of raw materials in formulations.
 The most common
contaminants
• What
– Mixing 2 incompatible control fluids or chemicals
– Abrasive debris – attempting to clean the equipment / system after build rather
than during the build
– Elastomeric debris – excessive flushing of actuators by repeated cycling and
exceeding elastomeric seal capability
– Seawater - inappropriate / inadequate subsea installation procedures
• When
– Most contamination serious enough to cause a major system malfunction
occurs during system build, however costs increase through life cycle.
Build Commissioning Operation

Risk Cost

Time
Summary
 Subsea Control Fluids

• Control fluids and the equipment used to maintain them

must be regarded as critical system components
• Control fluids should be considered from the outset -
system design
• Control fluid performance influences control system Safety,
Reliability and Cost of Ownership
• Control fluids should be designed to minimise
environmental impact
• Filtration is an very important part of protecting the fluid and
system
 Factors affecting hydraulic fluid
selection
• Distance / length of hydraulic system
• Operational Parameters – Pressure, Temperature
• Hydraulic response times and recovery times of actuators
• System design – direct, multiplex, accumulation
• Open or closed loop system
• HP/HT developments – downhole equipment
• Environmental legislation
• Operator / equipment vendor preference
• Route to market
 Contact :

Sam Johns – Technical Service

Engineer, Asia Pacific
Sam.Johns@castrol.com

Castrol Offshore
Drilling Strategy 2006 to 2009