Optime Subsea to deliver five ROCS well completion systems on Aker BP’s assets offshore Norway

(WO) – Norwegian subsea technology company Optime Subsea has been awarded a contract by Aker BP to develop and deliver five Remotely Operated Controls Systems (ROCS) for use on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).

“This is a substantial contract that marks another chapter for remotely operated controls systems. Aker BP has been a major supporter of this technology from the start. They helped fund development of the first-generation system and they were the first operator to use our popular second-generation ROCS, which we will further enhance as part of this latest contract,” says Jan-Fredrik Carlsen, CEO of Optime Subsea.

Cost and time saver. Optime Subsea's second-generation ROCS has gradually become the new industry standard for well completion operations. Because it has eliminated the need for the umbilical, which traditionally connects the surface to the seabed for controlling the tubing hanger in subsea well completions, and the associated topside hydraulic control unit.

Removing costly and heavy equipment from the equation significantly reduces operators’ capex investments. Lighter equipment and quicker well completion operations also means shorter mobilization time and fewer rig days, which results in substantial opex savings.

Less equipment sent offshore also means reduced environmental footprint and less deck space required offshore. ROCS also has HSE benefits, as less personnel is required in the red zone of the rig.

“Digitalization and simplification of subsea operations is a key part of Aker BP’s strategy to reduce operating time and expenditure, lower our CO2-fooprint and achieve less HSE exposure on the drill floor. We have already achieved significant savings through the current ROCS systems we have in operation, and we aim to realize an even bigger potential with the five additional systems that will play key roles in our ambitious NCS field development program,” says Mads Rødsjø, VP D&W Operations at Aker BP.

Five-system contract. Aker BP has placed an order with Optime Subsea for rental and service of five newbuild ROCS systems. The contract is valid for three years with options for two one-year extensions (3+1+1).

The five ROCS systems will be deployed on the Skarv Satellite Projects; Symra and Solveig Phase 2 (Utsira High); and Yggdrasil. In total, these fields have approximately 55 wells that are planned completed with the ROCS. The five ROCS system will be equipped with a new tubing hanger orientation system, known as OTHOS. This system ensures precise positioning of the tubing hanger, eliminating the necessity for intricate and time-consuming rig interface work.

“Close collaboration between operators and suppliers is the key to realizing the most substantial cost and environmental benefits from offshore operations. While ROCS is the brainchild of Optime Subsea, the fast-growing adoption of this cost-efficient well completion technology would not have been possible without Aker BP. We look forward to cooperating once more with Aker BP in order to realize even bigger cost savings,” says Trond Løkka, chief innovation officer at Optime Subsea.

Optime Subsea will manufacture the five ROCS systems at the company’s headquarter in Notodden, Norway.